Qatar, Canada sign defense cooperation arrangement agreement

DOHA, Aug. 12 (YPA) – Qatar has signed a bilateral agreement with Canada to strengthen joint defense relations between the two countries.

This came after talks held by the Minister of State for Defense Affairs, Khalid bin Muhammad Al-Attiyah, with the Canadian Minister of National Defense, Harjit Sagan on Wednesday through a virtual ceremony.

The “Arrangement of Defense Cooperation” agreement aims to “strengthen the joint defense relationship between the two countries, and provides a comprehensive framework for coordinating various defense cooperation activities, peace operations, humanitarian operations, and training of human cadres.”

The agreement also reflects “Qatar and Canada’s commitment to promoting peace and stability in the Middle East by combating terrorism and violent extremism, and maintaining regional prosperity,” according to a statement issued by the Qatari Ministry of Defense.

The ministry did not provide more details about the agreement, while it was not possible to obtain an immediate comment from the Canadian side on it.

Qatar is a major partner of Canada in the Gulf region. The two countries have friendly bilateral relations and strong trade and investment ties, as the volume of bilateral trade exchanges between them amounted to about $311 million in 2019.

YPA