Trump continues his Middle East tour with an official visit to Qatar
The president is the second president to visit Qatar, preceded only by George W. Bush, who flew there in 2003, but he is the first to make an official visit.
Emir Al Thani receives Donald Trump in Doha
President Donald Trump arrived in Qatar on Wednesday, marking the second stop of his Middle East tour. After visiting Saudi Arabia, the president flew to Doha, where he was welcomed by Emir Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa al Thani.
This is the second visit by a U.S. president to Qatar, but the first official one, which carries a higher level of protocol. President George W. Bush was the first to visit the country, in 2003.
Donald Trump arrived in Qatar after signing a significant $600 billion investment agreement in Saudi Arabia, aimed at benefiting the U.S. arms industry and various other industrial sectors.
He is also arriving after meeting with Ahmed al Sharaa, the president of the new Syrian government, who previously led several terrorist groups with ties to Al Qaeda before assuming control of the government from Bashar Assad.
He described this morning's brief meeting in Saudi Arabia as "great" and referred to the Syrian president as a "young, attractive guy. A tough guy. A strong past. Very strong past. Feisty."
Trump added, "He's got a good chance of holding it together. I've spoken to President Erdogan, a very good friend of his, and he believes he has a chance of doing a good job. It's a torn country."
Trump urged Al Sharaa to join the Abraham Accords as a step toward further normalizing relations with the new Syria. The accords are a regional agreement aimed at stabilizing peace between Israel and its Arab neighbors.
Mention of Russia-Turkey negotiations
"I don't know if he (Putin) would go if I wasn't there," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One as he flew from Saudi Arabia to Qatar on his Gulf tour. "I know he would like me to be there, and it's a possibility. If we could end the war, I would consider it," he added.
Trump also mentioned that he plans to be in the United Arab Emirates on Thursday, marking the third and final leg of his Gulf tour. However, when asked about a potential trip to Turkey, he said, "That doesn't mean I wouldn't do it to save a lot of lives."
Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio is already scheduled to travel to Istanbul on Friday.
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