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The prime minister of Qatar has denied that that a $400m (£300m) plane given to Donald Trump was a bribe.
The Gulf nation has been criticised for giving the Trump administration a Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet which the president hopes to be use as Air Force One until the current ageing planes used by the president are replaced.
Speaking at the Qatar Economic Forum in Doha on Tuesday, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said: “I don’t know why people consider it as bribery or Qatar trying to buy influence with this administration. We need to overcome this stereotype.”
He argued that many gifts to the US in the past, such as the Statue of Liberty, given to the US government by France in the 19th century, had not attracted the same level of backlash.
The sheikh characterised the gift as “a normal thing that happens between allies”.
His comments follow a high-profile visit to the Middle East by Mr Trump last week, which saw him attend meetings with leaders in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
Sheikh Mohammed said Qatar had discussed potential partnerships with the US on AI and energy during the visit. He added: “I’m hoping that people in the United States and even the politicians over there, they see us as a friend, as a partner, as a reliable partner that we’ve always been there for the US whenever we were needed.”
Mr Trump’s new aircraft, dubbed the “palace in the sky” is currently in the US. Karoline Leavitt, the White House’s press secretary, said on Monday that the gift would be welcomed “according to all legal and ethical obligations”.
It comes amid a spat between the White House and aircraft manufacturer Boeing, which is late to deliver two new jumbo jets that will be used as Air Force One planes.
It has raised questions about the ethics of a world leader like Mr Trump accepting extravagant gifts. Chuck Schumer, the Senate Democratic leader, said on Monday he would introduce a bill to prohibit any foreign aircraft from being used as Air Force One.
“Retrofitting the Qatari plane would cost billions and could never even truly eliminate all catastrophic risks,” he posted on X.
However, Mr Trump has said it would be “stupid” to turn down the plane.