U.K., Qatar hold second meeting in London

United Kingdom and Qatar leaders gathered for the second meeting of the biannual Qatar-U.K. Sharaka bilateral dialogue Friday.

The meeting, attended by Foreign Office Minister Tobias Ellwood and Qatari Deputy Foreign Minister Mohammed Al Rumaihi, took place at the Foreign and Commonwealth office in London.

"It has been a privilege to co-host the second Sharaka dialogue in London with Qatar, with whom the U.K. has enjoyed a close partnership for many years," Ellwood said. "These meetings are instrumental in maintaining an open and productive dialogue." 

Delineating a number of agreements they came to during the meeting, Ellwood said, "We have agreed to strengthen our cultural exchanges, cooperation on security issues and engagement around investment. We also agreed to work closely together to resolve ongoing conflicts in the region, tackle terrorism and counter extremism, in particular tackling the threat posed by ISIL."

Ellwood can be followed on Twitter at @Tobias_Ellwood.