Qatar–United States relations

Qatar-United States relations are bilateral relations between Qatar and the United States.

History

Bilateral relations are strong and expanding. The U.S. embassy was opened in March 1973. The first resident U.S. ambassador arrived in July 1974. Ties between the U.S. and Qatar are excellent. Emir Hamad bin Khalifa last visited Washington in 2004, and President George W. Bush visited Qatar in 2003. Qatar and the United States coordinate closely on regional diplomatic initiatives, cooperate to increase security in the Gulf, and enjoy extensive economic links, especially in the hydrocarbons sector. Qatar sees the development of a world-class educational system as key to its continued success.

As a result, hundreds of Qataris study in the United States. Five U.S. universities have branch campuses in Qatar's Education City complex, including Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar (VCUQ), Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar (WCMC-Q), Texas A&M University at Qatar (TAMUQ), Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMU-Q), and Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar (SFS-Qatar). SFS-Qatar has, since 2005, offered a four-year program leading to a bachelor's degree in foreign service [ [http://www3.georgetown.edu/sfs/qatar/ School of Foreign Service in Qatar: Georgetown University ] ] .

Staff

Principal U.S. officials include:
* Ambassador--Chase Untermeyer
* Deputy Chief of Mission--Michael Ratney
* Political/Economic Counselor--Stephen Rice
* Senior Commercial Officer--Robert Peaslee
* Consular Officer--Timothy Ponce
* Public Affairs Officer--Joey Hood
* Defense attaché--CDR Coby Loessberg, USN

The U.S. maintains an embassy in Doha, Qatar.

References

StateDept [http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5437.htm#relations]