The following information may be under ISRIA's copyright. Do not copy or reproduce without our authorization.

Qatar, when 'small' means 'strategic' in the Persian Gulf

Recently, Qatar has been particularly active on the Mideast scene. On 28 January 2010, Crown Prince Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Khalifa Al-Thani welcomed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad who was in Doha - the capital of Qatar - for a two-day visit during which they discussed the regional situation and attended the festivity that honors Doha as the capital of Arab culture 2010. On 2 February 2010, Al-Thani arrived in Tehran - the capital of Iran - and reviewed the regional situation with President Mahmud Ahmadinejad too. Both visits underlined the political ties which exist between Qatar, Iran and Syria. Analysts stressed that the consecutive interactions with Iran and Syria which are themselves strategic partners for each other was no coincidence, not to mention the ongoing tension over the constant refusal by Iran to comply with the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) over its nuclear program.

Full Article for Subscribers (2035 words)
requires Full Edition Membership

view original source

© Copyright 2010 - ISRIA - all rights reserved - Established 2004