Washington. 1st of February. INTERFAX - US President Joe Biden has sent a letter to Congress in which he notified of his intention to assign Qatar the status of a "major non-NATO ally."
"In accordance with article 517 of the Foreign Aid Act of 1961, as amended (22 U.S.C. 2321k), I am notifying of my intention to designate Qatar as a major non-NATO ally," White Crowbar quoted the president's letter to Congress.
Biden explained that this decision was made "in recognition of Qatar's long-term contribution to the US-led efforts in the area of responsibility of the US Central Command, as well as our own national interests in deepening bilateral cooperation with the State of Qatar in the field of defense and security."
As previously reported by the Associated Press (AP), Biden planned to reach an agreement on Qatar's assistance in overcoming the energy crisis in Europe in the event of sanctions against Russia over Ukraine at a meeting in Washington with Qatari Emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. It noted that "efforts to develop contingency plans if Russia tries to cut off Europe from gas supplies are perhaps the most pressing issue on their agenda."
