Asharq Al-Awsat, Riyadh – The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz held talks Wednesday with Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad al Thani, the Qatari Crown Prince, regarding cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Qatar in all fields and the ways to enhance bilateral relations. The talks came one day after the two countries signed agreements on the demarcation of land and sea borders during the first Saudi-Qatari Joint Coordination Council held in Riyadh.

The Saudi-Qatari Joint Coordination Council issued a statement that was made available by the Saudi Press Agency, calling for further consolidation of bilateral relations through the ratification of six agreements.

The two sides signed the minutes of the first meeting which covered bilateral cooperation between authorities concerned in the two countries in a number of vital fields, including the political, military, security, economic, financial, commercial, industrial, investment, cultural, information, air transportation, endowments, Islamic affairs, environment, health , municipal, constructional planning, transport, infrastructure, and energy fields in addition to cooperation between the private sectors represented by the chamber of commerce and industry in each country. The communiqué further stated that the two sides also welcomed the signing of the land and sea border agreement between Saudi Arabia and Qatar and the two maps annexed to them which were signed in Jeddah on July 5, 2008.

The participants also welcomed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding for political consultation and coordination between the ministries of foreign affairs of the two countries; the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Commerce and Industry of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Ministry of Business and Commerce of Qatar; the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on information and cultural cooperation between the two countries; and the signing of an Agreement to set up a joint business council between the commercial and industrial chambers of the two countries.

The Saudi-Qatari Joint Coordination Council extended thanks to- and appreciation of-the leaderships of the two countries for their great support for the Council’s efforts and their strong keenness to make it a success.

The Qatari side also expressed thanks and appreciation for the warm welcome and generous hospitality accorded to its leader and accompanying delegation.

It has also offered to host the council’s next meeting in Doha next year.