Greece and Qatar to establish an annual Strategic Dialogue, with a joint commitment to the Law of the Sea and defence cooperation

Greece and Qatar intend to give their contacts a permanent form by establishing an annual Strategic Dialogue. The two countries announced their intention at the first political dialogue meeting between their foreign ministries, held on Wednesday, November 4, according to the joint statement published by Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

On the Greek side the meeting was co-chaired by Ioannis Foivos Georgakakis, director of Directorate A6 of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, responsible for the Arab countries and the Middle East. Co-chairing for Qatar were Dr Khalid bin Fahad Al-Khater, director of the Policy Planning Department, and Fahad bin Mohammed Kafood, director of the European Affairs Department of the emirate’s Foreign Ministry.

An explicit reference to the Law of the Sea

The point of the statement of most interest to Athens is the joint reaffirmation of the commitment to international law, with explicit reference to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Athens consistently invokes UNCLOS in its dispute with Turkey, which has not signed the Convention and maintains close ties with Qatar; see our report on Greece and Egypt’s consultations. The two countries also commit to protecting freedom of navigation and maritime security, particularly in vital international sea lanes.

Qatar and Greece stress their shared interest in strengthening their role as reliable partners for stability at regional and international level, promoting peace and security by diplomatic means and through dialogue. The reference to maritime routes carries particular weight, since the war with Iran, with Iranian strikes on Ras Laffan and the disruption of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, has directly hit the emirate’s liquefied natural gas exports.

Defence, investment, technology

The two sides expressed their determination to turn shared priorities into practical cooperation with tangible results. The statement lists as fields of cooperation trade and investment, defence and security, technology and innovation, public health, culture, sport and education. The new mechanism is described as a “new chapter” in bilateral relations.

The dialogue builds on the positive momentum created by the visit of the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, to Athens in April 2026. Defence contacts between the two countries are already frequent: Defence Minister Nikos Dendias was in Doha in July, in the middle of the war in the region, while Qatar is also strengthening its cooperation with European countries, such as France, which it has chosen for its land forces programme.