Gulf States – Visit by the Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs to Qatar, Oman and Kuwait (27-29 Mar. 2022)

The Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs is visiting Qatar, Oman and Kuwait from March 27 to 29. The purpose of his visit is to discuss bilateral, regional and international issues with the Qatari, Omani and Kuwaiti authorities in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the current effort to diversity Europe’s energy supply. The Minister and all of his interlocutors will also address the discussions under way on the Iranian issue, the urgent need for an agreement providing for a return to the JCPoA, and the need to establish a regional dialogue on peace and security issues.

With the Qatari authorities, the minister addressed current efforts to end the Russian offensive in Ukraine, its consequences on the international oil market and the need to diversify Europe’s gas supply. He was officially received by His Highness the Emir of Qatar, and he joined his counterpart, Sheikh Mohammed Al Thani, for discussions on all of the regional crises, and specifically those in Libya and Lebanon, as well as on the urgent need for a return to the JCPoA. He expressed his support for Doha’s mediation efforts on Chad. He continued consultations with Qatar on Afghanistan, particularly with regard to Qatar’s assistance with evacuating French and Afghan citizens in need of protection, and once again he thanked his interlocutors for this effort.

The two ministers co-chaired the first edition of the France-Qatar Strategic Dialogue aimed at providing a framework to deepen bilateral relations in all areas of cooperation: regional and global challenges; security and defense issues and the fight against radicalization and terrorism; the economy and investments; energy issues, which the minister discussed with the Qatari energy minister; and human, educational and cultural exchanges.

In Oman, the minister will meet with his counterpart, Sayyid Badr Al Busaidi; they will discuss the invasion of Ukraine and the ensuing need to diversity Europe’s gas supply. They will also discuss all of the crises in the region, and especially the crisis in Yemen. Lastly, they will work together to continue deepening bilateral relations in the various spheres in which we collaborate: cultural, education, linguistic and economic. The Minister will talk about progress in the development of the fishing port of Duqm; the operator of the Port of Lorient has been selected to carry out that project.

In Kuwait, the minister will underscore for his interlocutors the urgent need to end the invasion of Ukraine and the need to diversity Europe’s oil supply. He will also address all of the crises in the region with his counterpart, Sheik Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah, and in particular the situation in Lebanon. He will reaffirm France’s wish to deepen bilateral relations in the political, economic and cultural spheres, in keeping with the results of the first session of the France-Kuwait Strategic Dialogue co-chaired this past January by Minister Delegate Franck Riester.