Joint statement by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Australia and the Foreign Ministry of the State of Qatar on the Hamad International Airport (Doha) incident

Senator the Honourable Marise Payne, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Women of the Commonwealth of Australia and His Excellency Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar, held a telephone call on 30 October 2020 to discuss the Hamad International Airport (Doha) Incident.

His Excellency Qatar’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs expressed his deepest sympathies with the women impacted by the search at the airport and renewed the State of Qatar’s apology to them, stating that the incident is considered a violation of Qatar’s laws and values, and that the officials involved have been referred to the Public Prosecution Office.

HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs assured Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Women of Qatar’s commitment to the safety and security of all passengers travelling through Hamad International Airport.

Commenting on the measures taken, Minister Payne thanked Minister Al-Thani for Qatar’s commitment to bring a meaningful resolution to the case, expressing Australia’s satisfaction with these initial steps taken by the State of Qatar to address the matter. Minister Payne said she looked forward to the State of Qatar sharing the report into the matter.  Minister Payne expressed her confidence that the Qatari government will hold the officials involved accountable in a fair, just and proportionate manner.

The two Foreign Ministers agreed to continue to monitor the case closely and exchange updates, assuring that this is a top priority for both governments.

The two Ministers further underscored the strong bilateral ties between the State of Qatar and the Commonwealth of Australia, and discussed ways to enhance this partnership in all fields of cooperation.