Biden Expands Alliance With Qatar Amid Energy Security Talks

(Bloomberg) -- President Joe Biden said he's expanding the U.S. alliance with Qatar as he met with the country's ruler to discuss shoring up energy supplies to Europe and diplomacy with the Taliban.

“Qatar is a good friend and a reliable and capable partner,” Biden said Monday at the White House with Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

Biden said he's notifying Congress that he'll designate the country as “a major non-NATO ally” in a reflection of “the importance of our relationship.”

The change would provide benefits in defense trade and security cooperation, offering the same status extended to countries including Israel, Japan and Pakistan. The move is symbolic given that the U.S. has long had close military ties with Qatar and uses the country's Al Udeid base as a regional hub for U.S. Central Command.

The change in ties comes after Qatar was caught up in a feud that divided it from Saudi Arabia and other U.S. allies in the Gulf. The dispute lasted through much of the Trump administration and complicated U.S. relations in the region.

Biden planned to update Tamim on efforts for a diplomatic solution to the crisis over Ukraine, which has led the U.S. to ask Qatar to step up supplies of liquefied natural gas if fallout from a Russian invasion leads to energy shortages in Europe.

U.S. officials on a conference call with reporters Sunday declined to say if they expect a formal agreement on LNG supplies to Europe to emerge from Monday's visit. Europe leans on Russia for about a third of its natural gas.

Qatar is among the world's biggest producers of LNG, with about three-quarters of its exports sold to energy-poor Asian countries such as Japan and Korea. It's already pumping at full capacity.

The emir's trip to Washington, which was originally planned for November, included meetings with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Homeland Security chief Alejandro Mayorkas and members of Congress, according to the U.S. officials. Secretary of State Antony Blinken joined the Oval Office meeting.

Ahead of the meeting, Qatar Airways announced that it's purchasing 34 Boeing Co. 777-8 freighters, with options for 16 more. Qatar also signed a commitment to buy 25 of the largest version of Boeing's 737 Max narrowbody.

“We're excited about what this opportunity means for American manufacturing and the strength of our partnership,” Boeing Chief Executive Officer David Calhoun said at a White House event announcing the agreement.