Doha, October 27 (QNA) - Minister of State for International Cooperation and Acting Minister of Business and Trade H.E. Dr. Khalid bin Mohammad Al-Attiyah and Prince Andrew, the Duke of York and UK's Special Representative for International Trade and Investment, signed on Tuesday morning the investment protection agreement between Qatar and the United Kingdom.
The agreement is a result of several years discussions based on the two sides' desire to strengthen the relationship between the two countries, Saud Jassem al-Jufairi, the Director of Economic Affairs Department at the Ministry of Business and Trade, told reporters.
He noted that H.E. the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabor Al Thani's visit to the United Kingdom has pushed the negotiations towards signing an agreement in a bid to encourage investments and protect projects between the two countries.
Al-Jufairi underlined that the agreement support the investments in both counties especially in the sectors of oil and gas, hoping that the private sector would benefit from the agreement.
He said that the volume of bilateral trade between Qatar and the United Kingdom reached one and a half billion pounds according to the latest estimates. He expected the trade exchange to increase after signing the agreement. (QNA)