Qatari premier, Irish foreign minister discuss developments in Middle East

By Burak Bir

LONDON (AA) - Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed Al Thani on Wednesday met with Irish deputy prime minister, or tanaiste, Simon Harris in Dublin, to discuss developments in the Middle East, including ongoing situation in Gaza and the West Bank.

The bilateral talks came as Sheikh Mohammed, who is also foreign minister of Qatar, visited Ireland to accept the 2024 Tipperary International Peace Award, "in recognition of his role in negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza between Hamas and Israel."

In a statement by the Irish Foreign Affairs Department, Harris, who is also the foreign minister of Ireland, discussed with the Qatari prime minister the situation in the Middle East, including the ongoing situation in Gaza and the West Bank, wider regional issues, including the situation in Iran, and the bilateral relationship.

The pair expressed concern regarding ongoing conflicts in the region, and their hope that a renewed ceasefire and hostage release agreement can be reached in Gaza and that the ceasefire between Israel and Iran will be maintained.

They committed to further strengthening political, economic and people-to-people ties between Ireland and Qatar, according to the statement.

"We had a wide-ranging and positive exchange of views on our bilateral relations, and the conflict in the Middle East, in particular the situation in Gaza and the West Bank and the recent crisis in Iran," said Harris.

He went on to say that, during the talks, Sheikh Mohammed set out "what he saw as a window of opportunity for progress" toward a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

"It’s vital that all parties redouble their efforts to seize this opportunity for the sake of the people of Gaza," he added.

Defining the humanitarian situation in Gaza as "catastrophic," the Irish foreign minister thanked Qatar for its effort to bring about a resumption of the ceasefire agreement.

"We urgently need to see a cessation of hostilities, the release of all remaining hostages, and the resumption of vitally needed humanitarian aid at scale into and throughout Gaza," said Harris in the statement.

Turning to recent hostilities between Iran and Israel, Harris said that they hope that the ceasefire agreement "will continue to be honoured."

"It is my hope that a lasting solution to Iran’s nuclear programme can be found through dialogue and diplomacy," he added.