A joint Qatari-Spanish statement called for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, allowing the delivery of urgent humanitarian aid and the return of detainees.
Yesterday, Friday, Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albarez Bueno launched the first Qatari-Spanish strategic dialogue “as a culmination of the deep and growing bilateral partnership between the two countries,” according to the joint statement.
The statement issued after the end of the first strategic dialogue between Qatar and Spain renewed the commitment of Doha and Madrid to achieving a just and equitable peace that guarantees the establishment of a Palestinian state and achieves security.
The statement also emphasized that peace cannot be achieved at the present time except through negotiations between the Palestinians and Israelis with international support and the implementation of the two-state solution.
The statement called on all parties to ensure that the necessary measures are taken to implement the ruling of the International Court of Justice regarding Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.
Qatar and Spain stressed “the importance of giving priority to de-escalation efforts in order to reach an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, which will lead to reducing tensions on other inflammatory regional fronts.”
Spain is one of the European countries that has recognized an independent Palestinian state, as Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced in late May that the adoption of the recognition resolution is a historic step that allows the Palestinians and Israelis to achieve peace.
Defense partnership
Regarding relations between the two countries, the joint statement said that Qatar and Spain reviewed during the first strategic dialogue “areas of cooperation between the two countries,” and praised “the progress achieved in the areas of political, diplomatic, defense, military and commercial cooperation.”
The total volume of trade exchange between Qatar and Spain amounted to more than 1.4 billion euros last year, according to the joint statement.
In the field of military defense cooperation, the two countries stressed the importance of their defense partnership, stressing their “shared commitment to the values of peace, coexistence and respect among peoples, and confronting regional and global threats.”
Qatar and Spain also announced their aspiration to “make progress in areas of cooperation and review them during the second strategic dialogue scheduled to be held in Doha in 2025.”
