(MENAFN- The Peninsula)
By Mohammed Osman
DOHA: Qatari investments in UK will not be affected by Brexit and UK is seeking more investors, tourists and students from Qatar, said Ajay Sharma, British Ambassador to Qatar.
Britain has strong historical relations with Qatar and both countries have common interests and UK wants to develop these relations, particularly investments and trade, and make obtaining a visa to UK easier.
“We look forward to enhance our cooperation with Qatar in security and defence as Qatari security is our security and the stability of this region is very important for the UK,” said Sharma at a press conference held at the UK Embassy.
Defence, training and stadium security during the FIFA World Cup are areas of cooperation which will not be affected by the referendum decision, in addition to cooperation in areas of education, health care, science that will continue as it is or will be further strengthened, he added.
“British economy is strong and our economic partnership with Qatar and other countries will continue, including our relation with EU because there are mutual interests,” said Sharma.
There are a lot of reactions to the result of the referendum, and are likely to continue, he said.
“I think from the British government’s perspective, the main thing now is to work on implementing the decision of the people as expressed in the referendum. We want to make sure we leave EU in the best possible way for the UK. This is the decision by all of the UK and Scotland is part of this process and Scotland participated in this referendum,” said the ambassador.
He pointed out that “there is no fixed deadline, and nothing will change immediately, we are still member of EU and still have obligations, rights as any member of the EU” and all are subject to negotiations.
So that the interest of Scotland is just like the interest of other parts of the UK which will be protected. The next step is making sure about getting the negotiation process right for the whole of UK.
Regarding visa for Qataris, the ambassador said: “My message for Qatari people is that UK is still as you know and like so much and the UK still wants to see more Qatari visitors, students, tourist and investors and that has not been changed”.
I hope Qatari visitors will take the advantage of the latest visa waiver system that replace the older system and is an improved version of this service. The new system has made “the process more easier for Qatari visitors because we want to see the number of Qatari visitors in the UK to increase,” Ambassador Sharma stressed. A new version of the electronic visa waiver scheme (EVW II) that went live on May this year, has made travel to the UK for business and tourism even easier for Qatari passport holders.
In early 2014, the UK introduced the EVW scheme, allowing passport holders from Qatar to travel to the UK for a visit of up to six months by filling in an online form at least 48 hours before departure. Tens of thousands of travellers have since benefitted from the scheme, which removed the need to give biometrics, attend a visa application centre or hand in passports in advance of travel.
Unlike the first version of EVW, which relied on passengers entering their personal information exactly as it appears on their passport, the new EVW form asks passengers to upload a copy of their passport biographic data page so that details can be checked for accuracy prior to travel. This means that input errors can be picked up, significantly reducing the risk of issues when boarding or entering the UK. Passengers will still need to apply online for an EVW at least 48 hours in advance, providing specific travel details.
EVW II also features a, simpler set of questions in both English and Arabic, making it easier for users in Qatar. To cover the costs of developing and running the new system, an administrative fee of £15 is being introduced, which is significantly lower than the cost of a UK visit visa.
Regarding the EU citizens in UK and UK citizens in EU, the ambassador pointed out that nothing is going to change immediately because what the UK has started is the process of leaving the EU and this will be part of the negotiations and their legal status will depend on the kind of arrangements made later.The Peninsula