Doha / Information Office / May 20

The State of Qatar welcomes NATOs initiative to airlift needed medical and humanitarian supplies in support of the United Nations efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a statement today , the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said : "The State of Qatar is pleased to collaborate with NATO in this initiative, and commends its global efforts to mitigate the humanitarian effect of this pandemic".

Qatar and NATO enjoy strong relations and close coordination, and we look forward to enhancing this partnership, the statement said.

The statement stressed that the State of Qatar is fully committed to supporting constructive international efforts, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Qatar has recently launched the "Group of Friends of Solidarity for Global Health Security initiative to combat COVID-19, in collaboration with South Korea, Canada, Denmark and Sierra Leone, it added.

The Group works towards focusing on the major threats posed by the pandemic to international peace and security, and calls on the United Nations to play a central role in stimulating and coordinating a strong global response to the epidemic while emphasizing the urgent need for action-oriented international cooperation among all member states of the United Nations.