The governments of Mozambique and Qatar have expressed interest in strengthening economic and labour cooperation, including the deployment of Mozambican workers to the Gulf state. The intention was declared on Tuesday, 3 November, during the second political consultations between the two countries, held in Maputo.

The consultations took place within the framework of a one-day visit to the Mozambican capital by the Secretary-General of Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ahmad Al Hammad. At the close of the meeting, both delegations reaffirmed their interest in deepening bilateral relations and expanding cooperation across multiple sectors.

Maria Manso, Mozambique’s Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and the Mozambican Community Abroad, said economic cooperation is one of the main priorities for strengthening relations between the two countries. “We have just concluded our second political consultations and we are focused on increasing our cooperation at various levels, with particular emphasis on economic cooperation, which is our calling card for strengthening this relationship,” she said.

According to Maria Manso, one of the immediate priorities is implementing a general cooperation agreement between Mozambique and Qatar, which is expected to lay the groundwork for all subsequent joint initiatives. “At this stage, we want to consolidate our foundation, which is the signing of our general cooperation agreement — that will be the driving force behind the implementation of all other actions we will undertake in terms of cooperation,” she explained.

The official described the two countries’ economies as complementary and identified several sectors with strong potential for partnership development. These include agriculture, industry, tourism, and digital technologies — areas in which, she noted, Qatar holds opportunities to deepen its engagement with Mozambique.

On the labour front, Manso pointed to the implementation of an agreement signed in October of this year as a near-term priority. “In the first phase, we will pursue the agreement signed in October, which covers the area of labour. We want to send workers to Qatar and we are already in a preparation phase for this component,” she said.

For his part, Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Secretary-General Ahmad Al Hammad advocated for deeper bilateral ties and signalled his country’s readiness to receive Mozambican workers. He highlighted in particular the prospect of attracting young Mozambicans to employment opportunities in Doha.

“We are now building a new relationship and defining forms of cooperation in different areas, including labour, with the aim of attracting young Mozambicans to work in Doha,” Al Hammad said.

The second political consultations form part of broader diplomatic and economic rapprochement efforts between Mozambique and Qatar. The meeting provided a platform to address areas of bilateral cooperation, with emphasis on strengthening economic relations and creating employment opportunities for Mozambican workers in Qatar.