DOHA: During his trip to Malaysia, U.S. President Donald Trump made a brief stopover in Qatar, where he met Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani aboard his aircraft.
According to international media reports, Trump was on his way to attend the ASEAN Summit in Malaysia when he held talks with the Qatari leadership. He praised Qatar’s key role in achieving what he described as “incredible peace” in the Middle East.
Speaking to journalists onboard, Trump said he expected a productive meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, expressing confidence that China would agree to a trade deal to avoid additional tariffs scheduled to take effect on November 1.
The U.S. president also emphasized the need for lasting peace in Gaza, saying that a task force would soon be formed and that Qatar was willing to contribute peacekeeping troops if required.
Trump further stated that Hamas must immediately return the bodies of hostages and warned that other nations involved in the peace process would take action if the group failed to comply. He added that the United States would closely monitor the situation over the next 48 hours.
President Trump is currently on an Asia tour, where he is expected to meet with President Xi to discuss ending the ongoing U.S.-China trade war. His itinerary also includes visits to South Korea and Japan, and he expressed his willingness to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
