NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Qatar's emir is looking to invest in energy and high technology in Cyprus, projects he sees as having great economic potential, a Cypriot official said Tuesday.
Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who made his first visit to the eastern Mediterranean island nation of Cyprus on Tuesday, is also interested in investing in Cyprus' ports and financial institutions, officials said.
Qatar is a strong supporter of the Maritime Aid Corridor, which would transport humanitarian supplies from the Cypriot port of Larnaca to the besieged Gaza Strip via a US-built temporary jetty off the coast of Palestinian territory. Al-Thani helps fund the collection of humanitarian supplies through the initiative.
Officials said the temporary pier was damaged by rough seas over the weekend, forcing it to temporarily suspend operations.
Al-Thani and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides met and agreed to set up a working group to measure progress toward closer economic and political ties, said a Cypriot official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter.
According to a Cypriot government statement, the emir expressed concern about the situation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where Israeli forces continue to attack.
Qatar, along with Egypt and the United States, is brokering a ceasefire to end the war and secure the release of around 100 Israeli hostages being held by the Gaza Strip's militant Hamas rulers.
Qatar is also conducting oil and gas exploration in one of 13 areas (blocks) within its exclusive economic zone off the southern coast of Cyprus in partnership with ExxonMobil.
Menelaos Hadjikostis, The Associated Press
