Macedonian President Hails Relations with Qatar

Doha, January 30 (QNA) - Macedonian President Dr. George Ivanov has praised the high level of bilateral relations between the Republic of Macedonia and the State of Qatar, expressing hope to strengthen mutual cooperation in various fields. In an exclusive interview with Qatar News Agency (QNA) on Wednesday, the Macedonian President, currently visiting Qatar, stressed his country's keenness to develop relations of cooperation with Qatar in political, economic, cultural and educational spheres under the joint culture and history between the GCC countries and the Balkan Peninsula in general and the commonalities between the two countries in particular. He also expressed his country's aspiration to take advantage of the march of the State of Qatar in the transition from an economy based on depleted natural resources to a knowledge-based economy by unlocking human potential in line with the social and technological development experienced by the younger generations around the world. In this context, he referred to a number of common interests that can be developed between the two sides, including the two countries' keenness to spread the message of dialogue and alliance among civilizations that embodied through the Alliance of Civilizations Forum in which Qatar became a major partner and the initiative of Dialogue among Civilizations launched by Macedonia in 2003 under the auspices of former President Boris Trajkovski and in coordination with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Council of the European Union. The Macedonian President Dr. George Ivanov emphasized the strength of the political and economic relations between the State of Qatar and the Republic of Macedonia that have evolved through the mutual official visits of the two country's leadership and senior officials. In his interview with QNA, he praised the depth of cooperation between Qatar and Macedonia since HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani's visit to Macedonia in October 2011, which led to the signing of a number of agreements and memorandums of understanding, including the Convention for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Income and Mutual Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement. Dr. Ivanov noted to the fruitful results of his current and first official visit to Qatar, during which a memorandum of understanding for tourism cooperation between the Tourism Authority of the State of Qatar and the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Macedonia was signed. An agreement between the two country's Chambers of Industry and Commerce will also be signed soon, he said. At the conclusion of his speech, Dr. Ivanov called the Qatari people to visit Macedonia to see its cultural heritage and traditions and customs of the Macedonian people, wishing the existing relations between the two countries further development and growth. (QNA)