FROM: THE STATE DEPARTMENT
02/02/2015 01:34 PM EST
Remarks With Qatari Foreign Minister Khalid al-Attiyah After Their Meeting
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Treaty Room
Washington, DC
February 2, 2015
SECRETARY KERRY: Good afternoon. My very real pleasure to welcome Dr. Khalid al-Attiyah, the foreign minister of Qatar, here and my friend. We have worked very, very hard together on any number of issues, and I appreciate the many ways in which Qatar, the emir, and Dr. Attiyah have made themselves available in order to be of assistance. Most recently, they were particularly helpful with respect to Yemen and our efforts in the last few days to deal with some of the adjustments necessary to what has been happening there, and we’re grateful for that help.
We also find in Qatar a very strong partner in the anti-Daesh coalition, and we’re grateful for the role they have played. They are flying missions. They are engaged in helping with the foreign fighters effort, the counter-financing, the problem of messaging, the de-legitimization. So in every respect – we just had a meeting in London – they are a significant contributing partner to that effort.
We also have important growing both economic and cultural links and ties, which we look forward to talking about today and, obviously, expanding. But as a member of the GCC and an important partner with respect to the entire Middle East region, we’re grateful for the help that Qatar has been willing to provide. And I look forward to discussing some very difficult regional issues that we are currently working on together, and we obviously look forward to always strengthening not just our relationship but the ability of the region to live in peace and stability.
So Khalid, thank you for being here today.
FOREIGN MINISTER AL-ATTIYAH: Thank you, John, and good afternoon, everybody. I’m really happy to be here today, John, as most of the things as you have touched on, and it’s a good opportunity that we meet today and discuss all our bilateral and update each other on the situation of the region and exchange our ideas and thoughts, and I hope that we can have a fruitful meeting as usual, John, touching on the hot issue of the region as well.
Thank you, everybody, again. Thank you very much.
SECRETARY KERRY: Looking forward to it. Thank you all very much, appreciate it. Thank you.
