DOHA, Qatar, April 3 (UPI) -- Qatar's foreign minister was named prime minister in a government reshuffle Tuesday.
Emir Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani appointed Sheik Hamad bin Jassem bin Jaber al-Thani as premier, who will also remain foreign minister, Qatar's official news agency QNA reported.
Most other Cabinet members retained their posts, including Energy Minister Sheik Abdullah bin Hamad al-Attiyah. The bulk of the Gulf country's economy is based on its huge natural-gas reserves, and Qatar remains a key ally to the United States in the region, particularly as it hosts the U.S military's Central Command.
No reasons were given for the reshuffle, the first since December 2003 when Mohammad bin Ahmad al-Thani was appointed as the new economy and trade minister. But it came shortly after the country held its third municipal elections on Sunday and amid promises by the emir of limited parliamentary elections this year.
As foreign minister, Sheik Hamad spearheaded an Arab diplomatic effort at the U.N. Security Council to end last summer's war between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah. He has also been the spokesman marketing and explaining his country's unusual policies that at times seem contradictory, such as balancing between Doha's limited ties with Israel and close relations with the Palestinian Hamas group, which Tel Aviv and Washington regard as a terrorist organization.
