Emir of Qatar Discusses with Macron Future of Palestinian Cause

Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, left, shakes hands with French President Emmanuel Macron during a state dinner at the Elysee Palace in Paris, Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024. (AP)
Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, left, shakes hands with French President Emmanuel Macron during a state dinner at the Elysee Palace in Paris, Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024. (AP)
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Emir of Qatar Discusses with Macron Future of Palestinian Cause

Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, left, shakes hands with French President Emmanuel Macron during a state dinner at the Elysee Palace in Paris, Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024. (AP)
Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, left, shakes hands with French President Emmanuel Macron during a state dinner at the Elysee Palace in Paris, Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024. (AP)

Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani said on Tuesday he discussed with French President Emmanuel Macron the future of the Palestinian cause, saying it was the “cornerstone of Qatar's international and regional concerns.”

The leaders met in Paris during Sheikh Tamim’s two-day official state visit to France.

In a post on his official X account, Sheikh Tamim said he held “fruitful talks” with Macron on strengthening “our strategic partnership in accordance with a comprehensive bilateral cooperation that elevates our common aspirations.”

“We discussed the future of the Palestinian cause as it is the cornerstone of Qatar's international and regional concerns, and we are exerting every effort to stop the war in Gaza and deliver aid to our brothers,” he added, according to the Qatari state news agency (QNA).

“The world sees a genocide of the Palestinian people. Hunger, forced displacement, savage bombardments are used as weapons. And the international community still hasn't managed to adopt a unified position to end the war in Gaza and provide the strict minimum of protection for children, women and civilians,” he later added at a dinner banquet thrown by Macron in his honor.

Sheikh Tamim had arrived in Paris on Tuesday to meet senior officials and bolster cooperation between Qatar and France and tackle regional and international issues of interest.



GCC Welcomes Agreement between Yemen Govt, Houthis

Hans Grundberg, the U.N. special representative for Yemen, speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Cairo, Egypt, on Aug. 28, 2023. (AP)
Hans Grundberg, the U.N. special representative for Yemen, speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Cairo, Egypt, on Aug. 28, 2023. (AP)
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GCC Welcomes Agreement between Yemen Govt, Houthis

Hans Grundberg, the U.N. special representative for Yemen, speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Cairo, Egypt, on Aug. 28, 2023. (AP)
Hans Grundberg, the U.N. special representative for Yemen, speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Cairo, Egypt, on Aug. 28, 2023. (AP)

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi welcomed on Wednesday the agreement between the legitimate Yemeni government and Iran-backed Houthi militias to de-escalate the situation with regard to the Yemeni banking sector and airlines.

The agreement was announced by the United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, on Tuesday.

Albudaiwi expressed the GCC's support for all regional and international efforts and the efforts led by the UN special envoy aimed at achieving peace and security in Yemen.

The announcement underscores the importance the international community attaches to the Yemeni crisis, he added, hoping the agreement will pave the way for Yemeni parties to start the political process, under UN auspices, to reach a comprehensive political solution that achieves security and stability in the country.

He reiterated the GCC's continued support and full solidarity with Yemen, its government and people, and its keenness to encourage all efforts to de-escalate and maintain stability in order to reach peace.