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Singapore President S R Nathan is in Qatar for the second leg of his state visit to the Gulf.

While this is not the first time the Singapore national anthem is played at the Amiri Diwan — the seat of government in Qatar, this is President Nathan’s first official visit to the Gulf state, as well as his first meeting with Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al—Thani.

The meeting coincides with the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

In a meeting afterwards, President Nathan and Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al—Thani discussed the state of bilateral relations.

Both sides expressed satisfaction with the excellent state of Qatar—Singapore relations, and reaffirmed their interest to enhance the relationship.

They discussed a broad range of international issues, including the impact of the current global economic crisis on their respective countries, as well as developments in the Middle East and East Asia.

Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al—Thani expressed satisfaction at the progress made in bilateral cooperation and said he looked forward to more being achieved in the future.
He said that he had designated the Heir Apparent of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al—Thani, to take charge and nurture this special relationship that Qatar and Singapore have established.

Most of Qatar’s rapid growth is backed by oil, and Singapore is its third biggest export destination, after Japan and South Korea.

Bilateral trade grew by over 60 per cent in 2007 to reach over S$6.67 billion, and that momentum is set to continue.