Doha and Warsaw established diplomatic ties in the late 20th century.
Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and Poland’s President Andrzej Duda met in Doha on Tuesday on the sidelines of the fourth edition of the Qatar Economic Forum.
The discussions between both leaders involved Doha and Warsaw’s bilateral ties and “issues of common interest”, including the ongoing war in Gaza.
“During the meeting, they discussed bilateral relations between the two countries and ways to develop and enhance them in various fields of cooperation, in addition to regional and international issues of common interest,” the Amiri Diwan said in a statement.
The Polish president spoke at a panel at the QEF, where he spoke about Poland’s support for Ukraine amid the two-year war, waged by Russia on February 24, 2022.
“The free world must not allow Russia to win the war in Ukraine,” Duda said at the session.
His remarks came as the United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Kyiv on Tuesday to reiterate Washington’s support for the country.
The U.S. has provided Ukraine with military aid since the beginning of the war in the country. On May 10, the U.S. announced a $400 million package that contained “additional air defence munitions.”
Qatar has maintained a balanced foreign policy since the start of Russia’s war on Ukraine, communicating with both sides while repeatedly calling for the need for dialogue to end the conflict.
Months into the war, Qatar allocated $5 million through the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) to support Ukrainian refugees and displaced persons.
There are 6.5 million refugees from Ukraine globally with nearly 3.7 million internally displaced people in the country, according to the United Nations. Poland hosts nearly 60 percent of Ukraine’s refugee population, making it the largest host of those who fled the war.
Last month, Russia and Ukraine reached a deal through Qatar’s mediation over the exchange of 48 children displaced by the war. A total of 29 children will head to Ukraine and 19 to Russia.
Qatar had previously expressed its openness to facilitate dialogue between rivals Russia and Ukraine “if asked” by its international partners.
Doha and Warsaw established diplomatic ties in the late 20th century.
In 2002, the Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, who was Qatar’s leader at the time, was the first head of a Gulf state to visit Poland.
Qatar and Poland have since worked on strengthening their bilateral ties in various fields, including politics. Political consultations between the two countries began in 2014 at the level of foreign ministers.
