U.S. President Barack Obama met with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, in the Oval Office of the White House Tuesday. After their meeting, President Obama, alongside the Emir, told reporters that the two leaders discussed Syria, Egypt, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and Afghanistan, among other issues. "These are all very difficult issues and neither of us are under any illusions that they will be solved overnight, but what we agree with is that if our two countries are communicating frankly ... and pursuing common strategies we can be a force for good for the entire region," the president said. The Emir, speaking through an interpreter, said that they discussed economic issues and the Middle Eastern issues that Obama mentioned. He noted that there are many joint U.S./Qatari oil and gas projects. Also in the meeting were National Security Adviser Tom Donilon and Puneet Talwar, special assistant to the president and senior director for the Gulf States, Iran, and Iraq.
