US officially designates Qatar as a major non-NATO ally
Source: al Jazeera
The United States has officially designated Qatar as a major non-NATO ally, a move that upgrades the partnership between Doha and Washington and gives the Gulf country special economic and military privileges in its relationship with the US.
US President Joe Biden issued a presidential declaration formally announcing the change on Thursday afternoon, weeks after a pledge he made to Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani at the White House in late January.
Biden said at that time that designating Qatar a major non-NATO ally of the US aimed to reflect the importance of our relationship; I think its long overdue. Qatar is now the third country in the Gulf region after Kuwait and Bahrain to become a US major non-NATO ally.
The US and Qatar have had close relations for years, collaborating on a number of issues, including the evacuation of Afghan refugees following the Talibans takeover of the country in August. Thursdays declaration comes amid global concern over energy supplies and surging fuel prices caused by Russias ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Read more: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/3/10/us-officially-designates-qatar-as-a-major-non-nato-ally