US will designate Qatar as major non-NATO ally, Biden tells emir

The United States is planning to designate Qatar as a major non-NATO ally, President Joe Biden has told Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, a move that would formally upgrade the partnership between Doha and Washington.
During a meeting with Sheikh Tamim at the White House on Monday, Biden called Qatar a “good friend and reliable partner”.
“I’m notifying Congress that I will designate Qatar as a major non-NATO ally to reflect the importance of our relationship; I think it’s long overdue,” Biden said from the Oval Office.
The status would give Doha special economic and military privileges in its relationship with Washington.

Al Jazeera’s Alan Fisher reports from Washington, DC.

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