Singapore, Qatar to elevate ties to Strategic Partnership; renew energy cooperation pact
Singapore and Qatar have agreed to work towards elevating bilateral ties to a Strategic Partnership, as leaders from both countries met in Doha on Monday (Oct 19) for the ninth Qatar-Singapore High-Level Joint Committee (HLJC).If realised, the partnership will make Qatar Singapore's second Strategic Partner in the Middle East and marks a new milestone in relations between the two countries, according to a joint statement issued after the meeting.The HLJC was co-chaired by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, marking the first time in the platform's 20-year history that it was co-chaired by the leaders of both countries.Both sides also reaffirmed their commitment to broadening cooperation in areas such as trade and investment, energy, sustainable development, security, education and human capital development.The two leaders also welcomed the positive outcomes from the third meeting of the Implementation Monitoring Mechanism of the HLJC held earlier in September.