France 'fully supports Qatar for FIFA World Cup'

By Mohammed Osman

DOHA: France fully supports Qatar in hosting FIFA World Cup 2022, said Eric Chevallier, French Ambassador to Qatar. He said both countries are in continuous cooperation and coordination in various areas like economy, politics, education, security and development projects and in fighting terrorism.

'We are providing full support to FIFA World Cup 2022 and there is full cooperation with Qatar in areas of construction and security and more than 40 experts visited France to see Euro 2016 from the security point of view in order to prepare for 2022,” said Chevallier.

Talking to local reporters at the French embassy in Doha, on the occasion of French National Day (14 July), he said there are more than 40 companies called French Team for Sports actively taking part in infrastructure and World Cup 2022 projects including in construction, ticketing, smart innovations and security. France has also partnered with Qatar to train Qatari judges to deal with major sport events.

He said the standards developed by the key stakeholders like the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, Qatar Foundation and Q-Rail for protection of labour rights is a positive step towards the improvement in the living condition of low-income workers in Qatar. It is a joint responsibility of companies, countries of origin, and the entire community to improve the condition of workers.

The Ambassador reassured Qataris and other visitors to France that they can travel safely in France, pointing out that recently many Qataris travelled to France to watch the final of the prestigious football tournament at the Stade De France.

'The successful hosting of the Euro 2016 proved that it is safe to travel to France, which is one of the preferred tourism destinations for Qataris, especially in summer,” he stressed. 'We are working very seriously to ensure the safety of visitors travelling to France from various countries including Qatar and other GCC countries. Before the start of Euro in May and June, many people were saying do not go to France it will be risky and there will be problems but we ended the Euro 2016 in a very good way,” he stressed.

He added France is working with Qatar to tackle terrorism at the bilateral level and within the framework of international community mechanisms. These areas of cooperation cover three major elements like security, terrorism financing, and cultural dimension.

The visit of Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani to France last November was highly appreciated by France because the visit came at a 'very important moment after only three days of the two terrible terrorist attacks. His Excellency carried a very strong message of solidarity and determination from H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani to jointly tackle terrorism, said Eric.

He highlighted that when terrorists commit crimes, 'their main aim is to divide our societies and create a divide between a certain society and provoke tension”. Fighting Islamophobia is an important joint responsibility and we must avoid falling into this trap, he emphasised. 'The issue of terrorism must be seen from different perspectives and this is an area we are working on jointly with Qatar,” he said.

Relations between Qatar and France are built on solid ground and are deeply rooted but Eric feels that there is a need for further development although it currently covers a wide range of areas.

France and Qatar are working together on a lot of regional crises trying to find ways for political solutions to achieve peace and stability, especially in Syria, Libya and Yemen.

He emphasised that there is no change in France";s position regarding the situation in Syria and his country believes there is a need for transition that respects the will of the Syrian people -- a real political transition without Bashar Al Assad being part of the future of Syria but a transition that does not destroy the institutions in Syria. He explained that France and Qatar support the UN-backed unity government led by the Prime Minister Fayez Al Seraj who was received in Doha by Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

The Peninsula