Qatar’s Minister of Interior and Commander of the Internal Security Force, Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani, was honoured with the French National Legion of Honor.

Qatar’s Minister of Interior and Commander of the Internal Security Force, the Lekhwiya, Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani has been awarded the French National Legion of Honour with the distinguished rank of Commandeur.

The ceremony took place at the headquarters of the French Ministry of the Interior in the heart of Paris.

The prestigious medal, considered one of the highest national honours bestowed by France, was presented by the French Minister of the Interior and Overseas Territories, Gerald Darmanin.

Acting on behalf of the president of France, Darmanin conducted the official ceremony in the presence of high-ranking officials from both the Qatari and French delegations.

Sheikh Khalifa conveyed his deep thanks to France for the recognition.

The medal symbolises the robust ties between Doha and Paris, particularly in the realm of security cooperation.

The top Qatari official extended his wishes for the continuous growth and advancement of relations between the two nations.

This comes as the Qatari Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani embarked on a trip to France where his country announced an up in its investment to €10 billion ($10.85 billion) in various sectors in France over the coming years.

“The Amir also stressed what was agreed upon during the official discussions to increase the State of Qatar’s investments in France to 10 billion Euros in the coming years, which will be directed to strengthening strategic economic partnerships between the two countries,” the Amiri Diwan said in a statement.

The Qatari investments would be pumped into start-ups and investment funds in France between 2024 and 2030, Reuters reported, citing the French presidency. Some of the sectors include energy, artificial intelligence, health, and hospitality, the report added.

The announcement came as part of Sheikh Tamim’s visit to France, where he met with French President Emmanuel Macron. 

Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani is part of the Qatari delegation on the state visit. Macron also awarded Sheikh Tamim the Legion of Honour with the rank of “Chevalier.”

Speaking in Paris on Tuesday, Sheikh Tamim called for an end to the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza.

“The world is witnessing the genocide of the Palestinian people using the weapon of hunger, forced displacement, and indiscriminate bombardments. And the international community is still failing to adopt a unified position to end the war in the Gaza Strip and provide the strict minimum of protection for children, women and civilians,” Sheikh Tamim said.

He added that there is “a race against time” to reach a deal that would return the hostages and end the suffering of Palestinians, as cited by the Associated Press.