Yesterday, Thursday, US President Joe Biden sent a memorandum to Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, designating the State of Qatar as a major non-NATO ally of the United States.
Biden said in the memo that Doha's classification was based on the constitution and the foreign aid law.
Biden had said that he made this decision when he met the Emir of the State of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, at the White House last January.
The decision came about a month after Biden announced for the first time his intention to designate Qatar as a major non-NATO ally, and in the wake of his imposition of a complete ban on Russian energy imports over the Russian military intervention in Ukraine.
In February, Biden said that Qatar is a good friend and trusted partner, noting that he will inform Congress of his intention to designate Qatar as a major non-NATO ally of the United States, to reflect the importance of bilateral relations between the two countries.
The United States gives this designation to close non-NATO allies who have strategic working relationships with the US military.