French President Emmanuel Macron and the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani will have “a one-on-one working dinner” on Sunday in Paris. They will discuss “bilateral relations” and “regional issues”, the Elysee said on Saturday. The two heads of state had last spoken by telephone on February 27, at the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
They will dine in a restaurant in the capital, the president regularly inviting his guests outside the Élysée such as Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte to La Rotonde in Paris in August 2021 or the Italian Mario Draghi to Petit Nice in Marseille in September.
Emir Al-Thani offered his services this week as a potential mediator in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, recalling being “in contact with all parties concerned”, during a speech at the Davos forum.
Reduce dependence on Russia on gas
This visit is part of a European tour of the Emir which also took him to Spain, Germany, the United Kingdom and the World Economic Forum in Davos. European capitals are also seeking to improve their relationship with Doha in their effort to diversify their gas supplies, in order to reduce their dependence on Russia. Qatar has the third largest gas reserves in the world. He is also very involved in attempts to mediate between the United States and Iran on the difficult Iranian nuclear issue.
The last meeting between the two heads of state dates back to December 2021, when Macron undertook a tour of the Gulf countries. The questions of the fight against terrorism and the financing of the Muslim faith in France were invited to the menu of the discussions, as well as the preparations for the 2022 Football World Cup in Qatar and the related subjects of labor law in this country. .
NGO reports accuse Qatar of exploiting foreign workers, particularly in the construction of stadiums. The country vigorously rejects these criticisms, stressing that it has reformed its labor law and introduced a minimum wage.
More anecdotally, the visit of the Emir Al-Thani comes as Paris Saint-Germain, owned by Qatar via a sovereign wealth fund, has just celebrated its 10th French championship title and recorded the extension of his star player Kylian Mbappé.