Cabinet welcomes outcomes of HH the Amir’s visits to Italian Republic and Federal Republic of Germany

HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, chaired the weekly Cabinet meeting this morning at the Amiri Diwan.

In a statement after the meeting, HE Ibrahim bin Ali Al Mohannadi, Minister of Justice and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs, said that they deliberated on a range of critical issues spanning local, regional, and international importance and reached appropriate decisions.

Commencing the session, the Cabinet welcomed the outcomes of HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani’s state visit to the Italian Republic from 20-22 October and the official visit that followed to the Federal Republic of Germany.

The Cabinet also emphasised that HH the Amir’s discussions with leaders of the Italian Republic and the Federal Republic of Germany, and the Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) signed, represent the deep and strong relations between the State of Qatar and the two nations. They also ensure joint development and expansion, support strategic partnerships and mutually beneficial investments across sectors, which serves the benefit of the three nations, ensuring safety, peace, security and stability in the region.

The Cabinet lauded HH the Amir’s address at the opening of the first Gulf Cooperation Council-European Union Summit, which was hosted at the Union’s headquarters in Brussels on 16 October.

The Summit’s final statement reflected points raised in HH the Amir’s speech on the importance of boosting collaboration between the GCC and European sides, in light of the dangers, security, political and economic challenges facing the world, notably regional and international issues–in particular the ongoing destructive war by Israel on Palestinian territories and Lebanon.

During the meeting, the Cabinet approved a draft Cabinet decision to restructure the Climate Change and Clean Development Committee. The draft law was enacted to supersede Council of Ministers Resolution No. (15) of 2011 on establishing the Committee and determining its functions. It aims to support the preparation of a national climate change plan that aligns with the State of Qatar’s ongoing efforts to adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change.

The Cabinet also approved a draft decision by the Minister of Commerce and Industry on determining a regulatory framework for operating hours across commercial, industrial and public establishments. The draft law serves to implement provisions of Law No. (5) of 2015 on commercial, industrial and similar public shops and street vendors. It aims to strengthen regulatory oversight of all commercial establishments, standardise business hours to ensure the availability of products and services during specified times, structure markets and prevent unfair competition between establishments, protect workers’ rights from exploitative conditions and improve operational efficiency and productivity, thereby supporting the national economy.

The Cabinet also adopted a draft decision by the Minister of Municipality on the guidelines and regulations for establishing agricultural tourism activities on registered farms. These guidelines were formed to raise awareness on the importance of agricultural activities while creating additional income streams for farmers.

From there, the Cabinet approved that the necessary measures are taken to ratify a protocol for amending agreements between the State of Qatar and the Kingdom of Norway on the avoidance of double taxation and prevention of fiscal evasion related to taxes on income, which were signed in Oslo on 29 June 2009.

The Cabinet also approved a draft agreement on aviation services between the State of Qatar and the State of Libya, as well as a draft Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for news cooperation and exchange between the Qatar News Agency and the Agency for Public Information in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

The Cabinet reviewed 2023 annual reports from both the National Traffic Safety Committee and the Communications Regulatory Authority, making decisions accordingly.