MFA Press Statement: State Visit By President S R Nathan to the State Of Qatar, 16 To 19 March 2009

President S R Nathan is on a four-day State Visit to the State of Qatar from 16 to 19 March 2009 at the invitation of the Amir of Qatar, His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani. President Nathan's State Visit coincides with the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Qatar and Singapore.

After a welcome ceremony this morning, President Nathan called on His Highness Sheikh Hamad at the Amiri Diwan. His Highness Sheikh Hamad later hosted a State Banquet for President Nathan and the Singapore delegation. During the call, both sides expressed satisfaction with the excellent state of Qatar-Singapore relations, and reaffirmed their interest to enhance the relationship. They discussed a broad range of international issues including the impact of the current global economic crisis on their respective countries, as well as developments in the Middle East and East Asia. His Highness expressed satisfaction at the progress made in bilateral cooperation and looked forward to more being achieved in the future. He said that he had designated the Heir Apparent of Qatar, His Highness Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, to take charge and nurture this special relationship that Qatar and Singapore have established.

President Nathan's State Visit to Qatar is the second of his three-country tour of the Gulf. This follows immediately after his State Visit to the Sultanate of Oman, and will be followed with his State Visit to the United Arab Emirates from 19 to 24 March 2009.

. . . . .

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
SINGAPORE
17 MARCH 2009