The Diplomatic Institute organized a round table with the visiting Italian parliamentary delegation headed by MP Guillermo Varko; Chairman of the Italian-Qatari Friendship Group. The meeting discussed bilateral relations and cooperation in the fighting terrorism. investment opportunities between the two countries, were also discussed.
At the beginning of the meeting, HE Mrs.  Ahmed Al-Shaibi, Assistant Director of the Diplomatic Institute, welcomed the delegation, and expressed her appreciation for the development of Qatari-Italian relations and thanked the HE Abdul Aziz Ahmed Al-Malki, Ambassador of the State of Qatar to Rome, who chaired the meeting, for his efforts in delivering the true picture of the blockade crisis.
HE Dr. Mutlaq bin Majid Al Qahtani, Special Envoy of HE the Foreign Minister for Combating Terrorism and Mediation in Conflict Resolution, talked about Qatar's role in fighting terrorism, noting that Qatar was a partner of the main countries in this regard, and in supporting of Arab Spring against dictatorship.
Replying to the parliamentary delegation's questions and the Italian Senate's on the blockade countries’ allegations that Qatar supports terrorism, he said that Qatar has never did and will not support any terrorist group. Mr. Kahtani called for discussing terrorism as a global problem in order to develop a mechanism that would meet the relevant global challenges.
His Excellency referred that the crisis created by the blockade countries has nothing to do with terrorism, but rather have other purposes related to the sovereignty of the State and its achievements. For his part, Mr. Saud Bin Jassim Al-Jafiri, Economic Adviser to the Foreign Minister's Office, spoke about the economic relations between Qatar and Italy. He pointed out that Italy ranks 11th in the world trade partners to the State of Qatar, as the volume of trade between the two countries amounted to three billion US dollars in 2016. He also explained that there are 54 Italian companies in Qatar with 100% Italian capital, and an of investment $ 1.5 billion.
Dr. Yusuf Al-Siddiqui, Dean of the Faculty of Sharia and Law College at Qatar University, talked about the Qatari legal systems in facing terrorism, stressing that the curriculum in Qatar teaches tolerance and calls for renunciation of violence.