President Pahor and Emir of Qatar Al Thani in favour of a comprehensive upgrade of bilateral cooperation

At the invitation of the President of the Republic of Slovenia, Borut Pahor, the Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani is on an official visit to Slovenia today. President Pahor invited Emir Al Thani to pay an official visit to Slovenia during his official visit to Qatar in March; the Emir gladly accepted the invitation and announced that he would visit Slovenia in May.

The visit by Sheikh Al Thani, the Emir of the State of Qatar, is a continuation of the meetings and talks between senior representatives of Slovenia and Qatar in recent months and offers the possibility to strengthen bilateral relations and create opportunities for cooperation.

After the official reception with a guard of honour, President Pahor and Emir Al Thani had a long tête-à-tête conversation. It was followed by talks between the delegations of the Republic of Slovenia and the State of Qatar led by President Pahor and Emir Al Thani.


Photo: Daniel Novakovič/STA

The Emir is accompanied in Slovenia by a sizeable delegation, which includes the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Commerce and Industry. The topics of talks included bilateral cooperation and topical political developments, in particular the war in Ukraine and the situation in the Western Balkans. The Slovenian President and the Emir of Qatar talked about the possibilities of cooperation in the field of economy, especially regarding energy, and expressed hope that Qatari investors will find economic investments in Slovenia of interest. As part of the visit, a memorandum of understanding between the Public Agency of the Republic of Slovenia for the Promotion of Entrepreneurship, Internationalisation, Foreign Investment and Technology - SPIRIT Slovenia and Qatar Holding LLC was signed in the presence of the Slovenian President and the Emir.

In a statement for the press, President Pahor warmly welcomed the Emir and his delegation to Slovenia and noted the good and friendly relations between the two countries. He emphasised the positive effects of good bilateral relations on the economy and business. He added that it was also important that Slovenia had a friend in Qatar because of Slovenia’s energy needs. Emir Al Tani added that he believed that the cooperation between the countries would be strengthened further. "One month ago, a technical delegation paid a visit to examine opportunities in Slovenia, especially in terms of investments. The first report was very optimistic, and we are glad that we were able to sign the memorandum today. And this will only be the beginning. I'm convinced that we will do a lot of things together," the Emir said.


Photo: Daniel Novakovič/STA

The visit to Slovenia started the European tour of the Emir of Qatar, which President Pahor described as a special honour. After Slovenia, Emir Al Thani will also visit Spain, the United Kingdom and Germany.

The President of the Republic of Slovenia and the Emir of the State of Qatar also visited the Muslim Cultural Centre Ljubljana, where they were received by Nevzet Porić, the Mufti of the Islamic Community in the Republic of Slovenia, and Nedžad Grabus, the former Mufti of the Islamic Community in the Republic of Slovenia. President Pahor and Emir Al Thani unveiled a bench of friendship between the countries in front of the centre.


Photo: Daniel Novakovič/STA