President Bola Tinubu will visit Qatar in March for bilateral discussions as scheduled despite speculations of a snub by authorities of the Asian nation.
A memo between the Embassy of the State of Qatar in Abuja and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs over preparations for a sidelines meeting was leaked and misrepresented to mean that President Tinubu was snubbed by the Asian nation’s government.
But the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday said Tinubu’s visit will be held as planned.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirms the forthcoming visit by His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the State of Qatar on 2-3 March, as scheduled. The visit will include bilateral discussions at the highest level across a full range of strategic, diplomatic, and economic issues,” a Saturday statement by its spokesperson Francisca Omayuli read.
While commenting on the development, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Yusuf Tuggar said: “The Federal Republic of Nigeria and the State of Qatar have a long history of friendship and close bilateral relations. The forthcoming visit to Doha by HE President Tinubu will help build on this important relationship.”
Meanwhile, presidential media aide Bayo Onanuga said the leaked memo claiming Qatari authorities snubbed Tinubu is the handiwork of “mischief makers”.
“The leaked diplomatic paper by mischief makers about an investment forum is not in any way a snub on President Tinubu by the Qatari government,” he said in an earlier statement.
“The Note Verbale is about a private sector-led Business and Investment Forum to be held on the margins of President Bola Tinubu’s State Visit.”
“We note the strong bilateral relationship between our two countries and affirm that the State Visit by President Bola Tinubu to Qatar is on the invitation of the Emir of Qatar, His Highness, Sheik Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani,” he explained.
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