France–Qatar relations

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France – Qatar relations

France
Qatar

France – Qatar relations are the bilateral relations between France and the State of Qatar. The first embassy to be established was the Qatari embassy in France in 1972,[1] and the first bilateral agreement was signed in 1974.[2]

History

France – Qatar relations unofficially date back to Qatar's independence on 21 September 1971, when Qatar's representative to the UN, Hassan Kamel, delivered his country's admittance speech to the UN in French. Qatar established its first embassy in France in 1972, and made its first presidential visit to France in 1974.[1]

Diplomatic representation

File:Qatar-Embassy-Paris.jpg
Embassy of Qatar in Paris

Qatar has had an embassy in France since 1972, situated in Rue de Tilsitt, Paris. The current Qatari ambassador to France is Meshaal bin Hamad Al Thani.[3] France's embassy is based in the West Bay district of Doha,[4] and is headed by the French ambassador to Qatar, Eric Chevallier.[5]

Diplomatic visits

Emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani was the first Arab leader to visit France after Nicolas Sarkozy assumed presidency in 2007.[6]

On 22 June 2013, French president François Hollande visited Doha to discuss the economic ties between France and Qatar. He also met with Emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani in order to discuss the Syrian Civil War.[7]

On 3 May 2015, President Hollande visited Qatar where he signed cooperation agreements in the field of civil defense.[8]

Diplomatic cooperation

International organizations

Despite Qatar's population comprising only 1% French speakers, the country was admitted in the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie as an associate member in 2012. It was not required to join as an observer state prior to its full admittance.[9]

Military

France and Qatar have had a defense pact since 1994.[10]

In 2009, approximately 80% of Qatar's military equipment derived from France.[11] France provides military training to Qatar's special forces.[12]

In May 2015, French president François Hollande and Qatari emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani signed an agreement for Qatar to purchase 24 Dassault Rafale fighter jets to be used for reconnaissance missions.[13]

Business and investment

France passed a law in 2008 which accorded Qatari investors in Paris with certain tax exemptions.[6]

Qatar became France's seventh largest customer and sixth largest supplier in the Near East in 2012. Exports from France focus mainly on the supply of capital goods, deliveries of Airbus aircraft, and trade.[14]

Qatar Investment Authority owned a 2% stake in French media company Vivendi in early 2012. It also owns a stake in Lagardère Group[15] and construction company Vinci SA.[16]

In 2012, Qatar entered in a preliminary agreement with France to invest 50 million euros in small-scale businesses in France's suburbs. However, the agreement drew criticism by France's political parties, and as a result, it was renegotiated later that year under the terms that it would not fund businesses based on their geographic location. In June 2013, a new agreement was announced which saw the French financial organization Caisse des dépôts et consignations become involved and the total value of investment raised to 300 million euros.[17]

Education

French international school Lycée Bonaparte was opened in Doha in the mid-1970s.[18] Lycée Voltaire, also a French school, was opened in Qatar under the supervision of Nicolas Sarkozy in 2008. Several issues ensued between the school board and the Ministry of Education, however. For instance, the Ministry of Education attempted to manipulate the school's curriculum by removing a chapter pertaining to Christianity in the Middle Ages from one of the school's text books.[19]

HEC Paris, a business school, became the first non-English, European institution to establish a branch in Education City[6] in June 2010.[20] It also launched Qatar's first executive MBA in February 2011.[21]

Sport

Qatar Sports Investment, a subsidiary of Qatar Investment Authority, purchased French football club Paris St-Germain in October 2012. The club value was estimated to be worth $130 million, and the QSI invested a further $340 million in the club's players.[22] Qatar-based beIN Sports acquired co-broadcasting rights of Ligue 1 (France's top football league) in 2014.[23]

Arts and culture

Abdullah bin Khalifa Al Thani, a member of Qatar's royal family, purchased 17th century hotel Hôtel Lambert in 2007 for a reported $88 million. He came under fire after he attempted to renovate the hotel in 2009, with critics stating that any reconstruction would harm France's architectural heritage.[24]

References

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  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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