Visit to Qatar

  • Media release

I will visit Qatar on 17November to strengthen bilateral relations in the Middle East.

I will meet with Qatar'sForeign, Commerce and Defence ministers to advance our political, trade andinvestment engagement with Qatar, and to discuss Syria, Iraq and other regionalsecurity issues.

I will also open Australia'sEmbassy in Doha. This is our first diplomatic post in Qatar and underscoresAustralia's commitment to expanding our bilateral relationship with aneconomically dynamic and strategically important country.

Australia's bilateralrelationship with Qatar is growing strongly, particularly trade and investmentand people-to-people links.

Australia's goods andservices trade with Qatar was $1.74 billion in 2015, and Qatar's sovereignwealth fund, the ninth-largest in the world, is a valued source of foreigndirect investment in Australia. There is growing demand for ourhigh-quality agriculture produce among Qatari consumers.

Severalthousand Australians live in Qatar working in areas as diverse as engineering,finance, IT, health and journalism, and Australian companies are contributingto Qatar's infrastructure program for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

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