The Prime Minister of the Republic of Mali HE Choguel Maiga stressed his desire to establish strategic relations with Qatar and praised the close ties between his country and Qatar, describing the country as a trusted and active partner.
The Malian president made the remarks during a meeting with Qatar Chamber (QC) officials at the Chamber’s headquarters. The meeting was attended by QC Chairman Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim Al Thani, Board Member Dr. Mohammed Jawhar Al Mohamed and General Manager Saleh bin Hamad Al Sharqi.
The Malian side also includes several officials, including HE Youssef Batiley, President of the Malian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Addressing the meeting, HE Choguel Maiga explored the possibility of organizing a Qatar-Mali Economic Forum with officials from both sides and private sector representatives to work together to review ways to enhance cooperation and available potentials in both countries.
The Malian Prime Minister called upon Qatari investors to invest in Mali, which is rich in opportunities for agriculture, livestock, mining and industry.
QC Chairman HE Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim Al Thani remarked that Qatar and Mali enjoy strong and close ties and there are visits are being made at the leadership level of the two countries but the trade exchanges are still weak and do not match the quality of these relations.
Assuring that Mali is a promising destination for investment, HE Al Thani added that “Qatar is interested to maximize its investments in Africa, which embraces a lot of Qatari investments in many friendly countries in various sectors”
The QC Chairman said that Qatari investors are eager to explore the opportunities available in Mali in various fields such as agriculture, mining, food security, energy and tourism, and to take advantage of the benefits offered to foreign investors in Mali. HE Al Thani assured the chamber’s support and encouragement to Qatari investors to explore such opportunities.
HE Al Thani invited Mali companies to collaborate with Qatari companies by setting up joint ventures in Qatar and Mali, especially as the Qatari market is open and welcomes all investments.
On the sidelines of the meeting, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Qatar Chamber and the Mali Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The MOU was signed by QC Chairman HE Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim Al Thani and President of Mali Chamber HE Youssef Batiley.
Commenting on the MoU, HE Sheikh Khalifa expressed his hope that the agreement would pave the way for further cooperation between the two countries’ private sectors, enhance relations between Qatar and Mali companies and lay the groundwork for the establishment of a Qatar-Mali Joint Business Council.
He also stated about organizing a visit to Mali for Qatari businessmen to learn about the investment opportunities available and to meet their Malian counterparts.
For his part, Mr. Saleh bin Hamad Al Sharqi, QC General Manager said that the MoU would strengthen private sector cooperation between the two countries, enhance mutual visits and enhance opportunities in both countries and help to build a strong foundation for trade alliances and partnerships between the two countries.
HE Youssef Batiley, President of the Malian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, expressed hope that the MoU would underline cooperation between Qatari and Malian companies and enable businesses to explore the opportunities available in the areas of infrastructure, livestock, agriculture and mining.
