Interparliamentary Friendship Group Czech Republic- Qatar Chairman to QNA: Looking Forward to Expand Trade to Gas

Prague, October 06 (QNA) - Chairman of the Interparliamentary Friendship Group Czech Republic- Qatar Petr Bendl considered that the visit of HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani to Prague comes within the framework of the strong relations between the two countries, especially given that the past period saw many meetings that brought together officials of Qatar and the Czech Republic, whether to sign joint agreements, or to jointly coordinate on mutual issues of interest. The Chairman indicated that the visit of His Highness the Amir to the Czech Republic comes at the invitation of HE the President of the Czech Republic Milos Zeman, and is expected to have fruitful results that translate into more cooperation between Qatar and the Czech Republic. In his interview with Qatar News Agency (QNA), Bendl, whose country currently holds the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union, expressed his country's aspirations to expand cooperation with Qatar to include many sectors, particularly energy, saying that his country looks forward to further cooperation and joint investments between both countries, especially that the current period makes it imperative to increase cooperation with the State of Qatar given that it is one of the most important suppliers of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the world, at a time when the Czech Republic has been affected by the current developments in Ukraine, making access to gas supply sources risky, turning energy security into a thorny issue. As a result, the country is studying the repercussions of the war in Ukraine and its impact on the gas sources available, hence the resort to Qatar to coordinate the supply of natural gas. On the Interparliamentary Friendship Group Czech Republic- Qatar, Petr Bendl said that it was established in the Czech Parliament in April 2019. The Group reflects the strength of these relations, which are witnessing a great and remarkable development at various levels, especially at the economic level, he said, pointing out that Qatar Airways has opened a tourist destination from Hamad International Airport to Vaclav Havel Airport Prague, which has contributed to supporting tourism in the Czech Republic, as well as promoting direct communication between the two countries. The Chairman added that the mutual visits and joint meetings between investors and businessmen in the two countries also raised the rate of trade exchange and provided an important platform for discussing various partnerships on many projects, and for a broader view of feasible investment opportunities in a number of promising sectors between both sides. Bendl pointed out that both countries share many points of agreement on many topics, contributing to the deepening of bilateral cooperation between the two countries, especially in the health, real estate, tourism and agricultural sectors, given that the Czech Republic has a long history in these domains. The Czech economy is one of the most promising economies in Europe, giving it great future potential for investment. The Chairman spoke about the Group's agenda, stressing that the next stage will witness more joint cooperation between the two sides, especially with regard to mutual investments. He explained that the Czech Republic offers investment opportunities to Qatari businessmen wanting to invest and enter into partnerships with their Czech counterparts and make use of the facilitations and incentives that the Czech Republic provide to foreign capital. The Czech Republic hosts major international brands, especially in the automotive sector. Bendl added that the Czech Republic is one of the most developed industrialized countries, ranking first among the countries of eastern and central Europe, in addition to being one of the most active commercial markets for investors from neighboring countries in particular. Heavy industries and building equipment and machines are the main industrial domain in the country, in addition to the iron and steel industries as well as several metals such as coal, he said. The Czech Republic is also famous for producing chemicals, transport equipment, foodstuffs, glass and crystal, as well as ceramics and pharmaceutical products, which all enhances the country's competitiveness and raises its productivity. Petr Bendl pointed out that the agricultural sector is responsible for a large share of economic progress in the country, as agricultural areas cover about 60 percent of the total area of the Czech Republic, with its most important produce being potatoes, corn, grains, beetroot amongst others. Livestock is yet another field the Czech Republic is renowned for, especially the raising of cows, and the selling of dairy products. Regarding future projects between Qatar and the Czech Republic, the Chairman said that the State of Qatar signed an agreement with the Czech Republic last June on the avoidance of double taxation with regard to income taxes and the prevention of tax evasion and tax avoidance, as well as a protocol to amend an agreement on avoidance of double taxation and prevention of financial evasion with regard to taxes, on the sidelines of the Qatar Economic Forum 2022 in cooperation with Bloomberg. He added that the agreement aims to avoid double taxation between the two governments, encourage trade exchange, increase investment opportunities through individuals and companies, and enhance international transparency standards by exchanging documented financial information. The agreement includes items related to maritime and air transport and joint ventures, as part of the two counties’ efforts to strengthen their bilateral economic relations. The Chairman of the Interparliamentary Friendship Group Czech Republic- Qatar Petr Bendl called on Qatari businessmen and investors to check out the investment environment and the opportunities available in the Czech Republic. He pointed out that great opportunities exist, particularly in the energy, technology and industry sectors, expressing his hope to increase the volume of bilateral trade, stressing that this can be achieved, by strengthening cooperation between the private sector in both countries as well as enhancing mutual investments. He stressed that the State of Qatar and the Czech Republic have strong relations on a number of fronts, and share the desire to strengthen them even more, especially in commerce and the economy, pointing out that the State of Qatar has been able to provide an attractive investment environment through the facilitations and incentives that it provides foreign investors with, enabling them to invest up to 100 percent in various economic sectors and activities, not to mention the country’s advanced infrastructure, and economic legislations, helping the State of Qatar in reaching a prominent position globally as a pioneer and destination for business and investment, which serves as an opportunity for Czech companies to invest in Qatar, and to take advantage of the attractive investment environment and the advantages it offers to foreign investors, as well as the opportunities available in various sectors. The Chairman of the Interparliamentary Friendship Group Czech Republic- Qatar acknowledged the importance of Qatari mediation diplomacy in resolving disputes by peaceful means and promoting dialogue in various regions of the world, praising Qatari efforts to bring peace and reduce conflicts. He added that the world has become more interconnected, and thus, every country is dependent on other countries; therefore, Qatar is invited to continue its mediation efforts so that the world becomes free from conflicts, pointing out that people all over the world need and deserve to live in peace and in countries free of rivalries. Petr Bendl emphasized that the State of Qatar has established its name as an honest and reliable international mediator, stressing that Doha has been able to contribute to maintaining regional and international peace and security, as well as putting an end to many regional crises and conflicts, be it between states, political groups, armed movements, or even opposition parties, enriching Qatar’s record of successes due to its diplomatic capabilities and strong relations with different parties, not to mention the importance Qatar attaches to the mediator role. He added that Qatar, for many years, managed rounds of negotiations between the hostile parties of various conflicts to create a path for dialogue between them without exerting any pressure on the different parties. Doha has faced all serious challenges, complexities, and obstacles, and was able to overcome them in various ways, most importantly by working with regional and international partners and countries in the region. The Chairman also praised Qatari humanitarian, development and relief efforts, as it is at the forefront of countries that provide aid globally, especially during disasters and crises, supporting education and healthcare, as well as supporting medium, small and micro projects. He further stressed that the development aid provided by Qatar plays an important role in supporting the economic, social and political sectors in developing countries and in alleviating poverty. Petr Bendl described Qatari-Czech relations as excellent, pointing out that the two countries have deep historical and people-to-people connections through commercial and diplomatic ties. Bendl noted that Qatar's openness to the world made it more in line with many countries which have very different languages and cultures. When it came to development projects, trade and investment exchange with the Czech Republic, he remarked that they currently fall short of meeting the desired levels. However, an intention is there to develop and strengthen cooperation in the coming period, particularly in the field of agriculture, tourism and energy, especially since the Gulf region, and the State of Qatar more specifically has positive cooperation with the Czech Republic. On his expectations for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, the Chairman of the Interparliamentary Friendship Group Czech Republic- Qatar said that his country, will unfortunately not participate in the World Cup this year, yet he is aware and well-informed that this tournament will be exceptional by all standards, due to the great developments and extensive preparations Qatar has made, in order to organize a tournament like no other. Bendl noted that Qatar's hosting of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, being one of the most prominent international sporting events, and coinciding with the economic and cultural advancement that Qatar underwent, only confirms the country’s ability to host such a huge tournament. He also wished Qatar an exceptional success. At the conclusion of his statements to QNA, Petr Bendl affirmed his country's support for Qatar’s hosting of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, and praised, in this context, the projects accomplished by the State of Qatar and the measures it took to host this tournament. (QNA)