On March 5, 2017 the popular Qatari newspaper "Al-Arab" published a broad interview with the Ambassador of Ukraine Yevhen Mykytenko dedicated to the results of Ukrainian-Qatari cooperation in 2016.

On its home page the newspaper quoted the Ambassador as saying that he sees the identity of Qatar and Ukraine approaches to the issue of solving the Syrian crisis and in particular the future political role of Bashar Al-Assad, whose fate has to be decided by the Syrian people.

The head of Ukrainian diplomatic mission stressed the gradual growth of bilateral trade with Qatar, which at the end of 2016 amounted to almost 40 mln. USD.

He also stressed Ukraine's interest in determination, along with the Qatari side, the mutually acceptable mechanisms that would allow initiate liquefied natural gas exports from Qatar to Ukraine through European gas transportation system.

The Ambassador also focused on wide possibilities of Ukraine in ensuring food security of Qatar and stressed the existence of a favorable investment climate in his country, which should encourage Qatari investors to enter the Ukrainian market.

The diplomat also informed about the list of more than 400 objects designated for privatization by the State Property Fund of Ukraine in 2016.

Intensification of Ukrainian-Qatari investment should also boost due to the soon planned signing of intergovernmental agreements on encouragement and mutual protection of investments, avoidance of double taxation and for the establishment a joint intergovernmental commission on trade, economic and technical cooperation.

With pleasure the Ambassador noted the growth in 2016 of the number of Qatari citizens, who visited Ukraine for tourism and treatment. He also informed about the efforts being made by the Government of Ukraine to further liberalize the visa regime with the State of Qatar in order to allow holders of all categories of Qatari passports to obtain entry visa to Ukraine immediately on arrival.

 

 Effective development of tourist relations is prevented by the absence of a direct air services between Kyiv and Doha. The two countries, the ambassador said, are actively working on the launch of such a flight in the near term.

Commenting on political dialogue and cooperation between Ukraine and Qatar on the international level, the Ambassador once again thanked Qatari leadership for consistent and clear position on the defense of sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine, as well as voting of Qatar in support of the relevant resolutions of the UN regarding the illegality of the occupation Crimea and Sevastopol city by Russia.

The Ambassador expressed his satisfaction with the high level of coordination that exists between the Ukrainian and Qatari delegations at the UN.

The Ambassador stressed the solidarity of the United States and European countries with Ukraine, noting that official Kyiv expects this approach to continue this year, especially in the shed of the coming into power in the US of the new administration, whose members have already confirmed the steadfastness of the US position for Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression.

The Ambassador also urged the Russian side to fulfill the "Minsk agreements" for the speedy resolution of the conflict in Donbas. In one of the subheadings the Qatari newspaper points out that "Kyiv is not going to return Crimea by military means in order rto avoid numerous victims among Ukrainian citizens."