Qatar and Australia on Thursday signed an open skies agreement to operate a number of passenger and cargo flights with full traffic rights, the official Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported.
The signing took place at a meeting between the visiting Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and Qatar’s Foreign Minister HE Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani.
The meeting discussed bilateral relations between the two countries and ways of enhancing them, especially in promoting economic and investment co-operation and increasing trade exchange between the two countries.
The two sides also discussed the current situation in Syria and Iraq, and a number of regional and international issues of common concern.
HE the Foreign Minister welcomed the inauguration of the embassy of Australia in Doha, and expressed Qatar's aspiration to strengthen and develop bilateral relations with Australia in various fields.
The meeting stressed the importance of continuing meetings as well as exchange of visits between officials to push forward joint bilateral co-operation.
Qatar’s Minister of Economy and Commerce HE Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohammed al-Thani also met Bishop and her accompanying delegation.
During the meeting, they reviewed relations between the two countries in economic, trade and investment fields and ways of enhancing them, in addition to aspects of joint co-operation between the two countries.
QNA reported that the trade exchange between Qatar and Australia totalled approximately QR3.7bn in 2015. Australia is the 21st commercial partner to the State of Qatar, with the value of Qatari exports reaching about QR1.4bn, while the value of imports reached nearly QR2.3bn.