Qatar and France have called for freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and the implementation of the ceasefire in Gaza, after the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, met French President Emmanuel Macron in Doha, Al Jazeera reported. A joint statement on Wednesday said the two leaders stressed the importance of restoring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz “without constraints or fees”.

The joint statement, issued on the occasion of Macron's state visit to Doha from 20 to 21 October and published by Qatar News Agency (QNA), said the leaders discussed the escalation in the region, ways to de-escalate tensions, ensure freedom of navigation and energy security, and achieve sustainable peace through dialogue, diplomacy and peaceful means. France affirmed absolute solidarity with Qatar, and the two leaders condemned Iranian military attacks against countries in the region, which they said constitute a serious breach of international law, according to the statement reported in regional live coverage.

Macron praised Qatar's mediation efforts, QNA reported. The two leaders reaffirmed their support for the two-state solution, with an independent Palestinian state living side by side with Israel in peace and security, in line with the New York Declaration. France and Qatar reiterated their opposition to any annexation of the West Bank and called for an end to Israeli settlement policies and settler violence, the statement said.

The Hormuz call matters far beyond the Gulf: the strait is a main route for oil and liquefied natural gas, and any constraint or fee on passage affects fuel prices, shipping and workers across Asia — including the large Indian and Punjabi workforce in the Gulf states. The joint call follows Macron's separate energy agreements during the same visit, covered earlier by Awaaz Punjab, but the Hormuz and Gaza wording is a distinct diplomatic statement issued at the end of the visit.