On April 5, during President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to Qatar, the two parties signed 13 bilateral agreements and two commercial contracts.
The presidential visit to Qatar was the second visit to the Gulf State region in two months.
In February, a Ukrainian delegation led by Zelensky visited the United Arab Emirates and signed agreements on a range of areas from defense technology to agriculture, totaling $3 billion.
The president was accompanied by a delegation consisting of interior ministers, energy and agrarian policy ministers, heads of state agencies, including in the field of infrastructure and military-technical cooperation. They each held separate talks with their partners in Doha.
April 13 will mark the 28th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Qatar and independent Ukraine.
The 15 agreements and contracts signed on April 5 covered several areas, including expanding concession projects in Ukrainian ports, natural gas imports to Ukraine and the construction of liquified natural gas import facilities.
Last August, Ukraine signed a 35-year concession of Olvia seaport in the Mykolaiv Oblast with Qatari port operator QTerminals.
Qatar has the world’s third largest natural gas reserves, after Russia and Iran. Qatar is interested in delivering gas to Ukraine through pipelines that run through Croatia and Greece and possibly through Turkey.
The two sides also signed an agreement on security assistance at the FIFA World Cup scheduled to take place in 2022 in Qatar. As part of the agreement, Ukrainian policemen will go to Qatar to assist with safety and security.
There were also agreements on the mutual recognition of sailors certificates and driver’s licenses.
According to deputy head of the office of the president, Ihor Zhovka, the recognition of sailor’s qualifications in Qatar will make it easier for Ukrainian sailors to find jobs in large international shipping companies.
Recognition of driver’s licenses helps to simplify the stay of Ukrainian citizens abroad and allows Ukrainian businesspeople and tourists enjoy greater mobility abroad, Zhovka says.
Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Arsen Avakov also signed a memorandum of cooperation with Prime Minister and Minister of Internal Affairs of Qatar, Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa Al Thani on crime prevention in Qatar.
After signing the agreements, Zelensky said there has never been this level of cooperation between the two countries.
Future Cooperation
The two sides plan to continue to discuss food security, infrastructure, and Qatari investments in Ukraine’s banking sector. The President said that agreements regarding food security will be signed in the near future.
Qatar’s harsh desert climate severely limits the country’s agricultural sector. As part of these negotiations, Zelensky said Ukraine plans to increase its supply of agricultural exports to the Gulf State country.
“Ukraine considers the State of Qatar as one of its key partners in the Gulf region and has every opportunity to fully ensure Qatar’s food security,” Zelensky said following a meeting with the emir.
Deputy head of the Office of the President Ihor Zhovkva says that increasing agricultural exports to Qatar will also strengthen Ukraine’s position in the region.
In advance, talks have already taken place with Hassad Food, the agricultural investment arm of the Qatar Investment Authority.
In comments following the signing of today’s agreements, Zelensky mentioned that Ukraine will need at least another $3 billion in investments to meet this year’s goals of the President’s Big Construction project.
A meeting today between President Zelensky and the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani focused on attracting investment in infrastructure from the Gulf state country for the construction of roads and bridges as part of that project.
The two sides also plan to agree upon further cooperation in counteracting the spread of the coronavirus and minimizing its negative impact. In 2020, Qatar provided humanitarian aid to Ukraine to combat the pandemic.
Representatives in Qatar’s financial sector are interested in entering the Ukraine banking market and are currently reviewing possibilities, the President said.
