Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Iranian ultraconservative cleric and presidential candidate Ebrahim Raisi gives a news conference after voting in the presidential election, at a polling station in the capital Tehran, on June 18, 2021. - Raisi on June 19 declared the winner of a presidential election, a widely anticipated result after many political heavyweights were barred from running. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP)

International

Qatar and Iran to develop undersea tunnel to link both the countries

Iran’s roads and transport minister, Rostam Ghasemi said four agreements will be signed between the two countries. The most important among them is an agreement on a plan to connect Iran and Qatar via an underwater tunnel.

Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi has arrived in Qatar to hold high-level talks with Emir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and to participate in the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF).

Raisi is accompanied by several ministers and is expected to sign several agreements aimed at boosting bilateral ties during his two-day visit.

“We view this visit as a step towards activating diplomacy with neighbours, especially Persian Gulf countries, and to use their capacities to develop political and economic ties,” Raisi told media before leaving Doha today (Feb 21).

Iran’s judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi speaks in Tehran on Saturday, May 15, 2021, after being registered to run in the upcoming presidential election. (Arash Khamooshi/The New York Times)

According to Iran’s roads and transport minister, Rostam Ghasemi, four agreements will be signed between the two countries. The most important among them is an agreement on a plan to connect Iran and Qatar via an underwater tunnel, Ghaemi told state television.

Two of the other agreements deal with shipping and boosting maritime trade while the fourth one relates to improving air travel between the two countries.

On Tuesday, Raisi is also expected to represent Iran at the GECF summit. Iran holds the world’s second-largest natural gas reserves in the world.

Vienna talks, Qatar ties

The visit comes as Iran and the world powers party to its 2015 nuclear deal are saying that long-running talks in Vienna to restore the deal – unilaterally abandoned by the United States in 2018 – are in the final stretch.

If successful, the talks could herald Iran’s full return to the global energy market as it could once more sell its oil and derivatives unhindered by US sanctions.

Qatar has strongly supported the restoration of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), as the nuclear deal is formally known, as a move that will bolster regional and international security.

Qatar has also at times been relaying messages and acting as a link between Iran and the US as Tehran continues to refuse to speak directly with Washington due to its reneging on the landmark accord.

Iran and Qatar have enjoyed significantly closer relations since 2017 when several other Arab nations led by Saudi Arabia severed diplomatic relations with Qatar and imposed a blockade on it.

Both sides have maintained those relations since early 2021 when the blockade was lifted and diplomatic relations were restored.

Written By

I am an experienced writer, analyst, and author. My exposure in English journalism spans more than 28 years. In the past, I have been working with daily The Muslim (Lahore Bureau), daily Business Recorder (Lahore/Islamabad Bureaus), Daily Times, Islamabad, daily The Nation (Lahore and Karachi). With daily The Nation, I have served as Resident Editor, Karachi. Since 2009, I have been working as a Freelance Writer/Editor for American organizations.

International

A Canadian warship’s transit through the Taiwan Strait has drawn criticism from China’s military, which claims the move disrupts regional peace. Taiwan’s foreign ministry...

National

The Punjab government has officially initiated the development of the Blue Line Metro Train project, a significant addition to Lahore’s mass transit system. Punjab...

Entertainment

Mawra Hocane has shared her thoughts on the unexpected resurgence of Sanam Teri Kasam, attributing its newfound success to a stroke of marital fortune....

Business

KARACHI: A new private airline, Air Karachi, has applied for a Regular Public Transport (RPT) license from the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) to...