Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi. [Handout via AFP]

The Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani announced his country’s willingness to develop strategic relations with Iran.

The Emir's statement came during his meeting Thursday with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on the sidelines of the 6th summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Kazakhstan's Astana to discuss plans to develop relations between Tehran and Doha, highlighting both economic and trade ties.

The Qatari royal noted that a commercial attache has been appointed to the Embassy of Qatar in Tehran in an effort to facilitate trade ties with the Islamic Republic. He also expressed his appreciation for Iran’s cooperation in preparing the ground for the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar.

Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani emphasized the double standards in the international area regarding nuclear energy and stressed Iran's right to possess and use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, adding that Iran's leading foe is a regime that possesses the most "dangerous nuclear weapons and arsenals."

On the other hand, the Iranian president hailed a 35-percent increase in the trade relations between Iran and Qatar in the past year. Raisi noted that the two Muslim nations embody capacities for the enhancement of relations and cooperation.

Furthermore, he said that Qatar could become a platform for the export of Iranian goods to other countries: "Qatar could become a platform for the export of goods from the Islamic Republic to other countries," Raisi told journalists after returning from the summit.

The sixth CICA summit took place in the Kazakh capital of Astana from Wednesday-Thursday. Participants include Azerbaijan, Belarus, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Palestine, Russia, Qatar, Tajikistan, Turkey, and Uzbekistan.

In a meeting with the Qatari Emir held in Tehran in May, Raisi described the capacities available in Tehran and Doha as a suitable ground for meeting the regional challenges. "The Islamic Republic of Iran has proved its friendship to friends and brothers in difficult times, including Qatar,” he added.