The Qatari Minister of Interior (left) during the signing of a security cooperation agreement with his French counterpart (social networking sites)

Today, Wednesday, Qatari Interior Minister Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani signed, with his French counterpart, Gerald Darmanin, a security cooperation agreement under which the Qatari security forces will participate in securing the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The agreement was signed as part of the official working visit of the Emir of the State of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, to the French capital, Paris.

The Qatari Minister of Interior said in a tweet on the X website that the Qatari security forces will participate in foot patrols, cavalry, and drones, in addition to teams for dismantling and removing explosives, combating terrorism, combating riots, and managing civil security for international sporting events.

Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad added that the Interior Ministries of the two countries signed a joint action plan and a letter of intent between the Qatari Internal Security Force (Lekhwiya) and the French National Gendarmerie.

Within the framework of His Highness’s state visit to Paris, I met with His Excellency Mr. Gerald Darmanin, Minister of the Interior and Overseas Territories of the friendly French Republic, where we signed a security cooperation agreement under which our security forces participate in securing the Paris 2024 Olympics.

This is done by patrolling... pic.twitter.com/R8tfozqhsa

- Khalifa bin Hamad (@KHK) February 28, 2024

Earlier, the Elysee Palace said - in a statement - that Qatar and France concluded a strategic partnership under which Qatar agreed to allocate 10 billion euros to finance emerging companies and investment funds in France between 2024 and 2030.

He added that investments "that are mutually beneficial to both countries" will target key sectors ranging from energy transformation, semiconductors, space, artificial intelligence, digitalization, health, hospitality and culture, Reuters reported.

France is the first European investor in Qatar, having invested $9 billion in the fields of energy, aviation, infrastructure and tourism, and it is also one of the five main countries receiving investments from Qatar.

Source: Al Jazeera + agencies