(MENAFN- The Peninsula) The Peninsula
Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani has said that the goal of current crisis is interference in the internal affairs of Qatar which is unacceptable and is a red line for us, and the people of Qatar.
The Prime Minister said that there is no disagreement with the blockading countries on borders, customs or security issues. 'In fact we have the same queries: Did the alleged dispute arise because of the successes the State of Qatar has achieved regionally and globally, and our support for humanitarian issues or our support for the stability of the region or our respect for the demands of the people? Or is it really because of Qatar hosting the World Cup? Or is it to interfere in our internal affairs? HE the Prime Minister said in an interview on Qatar TV programme 'Al Haqiqa (The Truth) last night that covered different aspect of development.
The Prime Minister disclosed that several projects will be unveiled soon including economic free zones, logistic areas and new laws like Permanent Residency Law, real estate ownership for expatriates which will be implemented next year.
He said that the goal of this crisis is clear to all by now and that is interference in the internal affairs of Qatar. 'This is unacceptable and is a red line for us, and the people of Qatar.
He said the State of Qatar is continuing to implement all its major projects, including World Cup projects, to be completed, God willing, ahead of time. 'And we have always said, from the first day of our winning the bid to host the World Cup that this event is not only for Qataris, but also for all Arabs. He said that the 2022 World Cup will be a great event organised by Qatar, and will be a source of pride for all Arabs.
He said that this is not the first crisis or disagreement that has occurred between GCC countries. 'Previously, these have always been solved through dialogue and direct contact. Today, in this crisis, there has to be a will and good intentions to resolve it, especially among the Gulf countries, which have strong brotherly ties.
He said the position of Qatar has been clear since the beginning of the crisis; dialogue is the only way to end this crisis, and the State of Qatar is open to dialogue provided that the sovereignty of states and the principle of non-interference in internal affairs are maintained.
The Prime Minister said that if any of the blockading countries have comments for us, each side must present their case and evidence and they must be discussed in an atmosphere of mutual respect as we are accustomed to in the Gulf.
To a question about 2014 crisis, the Prime Minister said that under the directives of His Highness the Emir, and a few days after the withdrawal of the ambassadors in 2014, there was an opportunity at the meeting of Arab Ministers of Interior in Morocco, where I met with officials from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, specifically to discuss the crisis at that time, despite the circumstances that the two countries were going through.
'As ever, friendship and brotherly relations are capable of overcoming any crisis. As such, the matter was discussed with officials from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to start bilateral negotiations until the appropriate environment was found to hold formal meetings at the leaders level.
He said that that we are facing great challenges in our region, most of which require serious cooperation to be resolved. 'These issues cannot be resolved with individual efforts alone. Here, I will like to highlight the issue of combating terrorism, because terrorism is the number one enemy for all of us.
Regarding allegations levelled against Qatar by siege countries, the Prime Minister said that the accusations are false, and has other aims, which are known to everyone. 'This accusation contradicts the international recognition of the State of Qatar's efforts to combat terrorism. It also contrasts with what my counterparts, the Interior Ministers in the GCC know, given that I too am a Minister of Interior, about the efforts of Qatar in safeguarding the security of every citizen in the Gulf — regardless of what is being said in the media.
He said that when he became the Minister of Interior, HH the Emir gave him clear directives, when he was still H H the Crown Prince, and again when he became the Emir in 2013 that the security and safety of Qatari citizens carries the same importance for us as the security and safety of GCC citizens.
'Qatar played a role in the detection of terrorist cells in the region, especially in some GCC countries, and I am very surprised by this accusation, which has no basis in reality.
Qatar has also taken proactive steps in the fight against terrorism.
The Prime Minister said Qatar signed a memorandum of understanding with the United States on countering terror financing, which comes as part of the continuous cooperation with the United States in the exchange of expertise and information, in addition to our cooperation with many countries in this regard.
He said that H H the Emir was the first leader to respond to the Riyadh Summit which was held to discuss efforts for countering terror financing. 'On that day, no one accused Qatar of financing terrorism!
To another question, he said that the Middle East region, including the Gulf region and the Arab region, faces serious challenges at present, because so far,many issues have not yet been resolved.
'The absence of the GCC's role at this time has a negative impact on resolving these issues.
The Prime Minister said as part of our national responsibility to our people, it is imperative for all of us to work to maintain the existence of the GCC and to resort to dialogue to resolve any issues without infringing on the sovereignty of states.
The Prime Minister said that due to wise leadership and the vision of HH the Emir, Qatar enjoys good and special relations with the international community. 'During this crisis, we have endeavoured to consolidate these relations with many countries of the world within the framework of our foreign policy principles, which include mutual respect, non-interference in the internal affairs of countries, as well as effective cooperation in the achievement of international peace and security and the resolution of disputes through peaceful means.
He said Qatar appreciates and values the sincere efforts and well-intentioned endeavours undertaken by H H Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah, Emir of the State of Kuwait, and his wisdom since the beginning of the crisis to contain this crisis within the Gulf.
'Qatar has supported his mediation efforts and continues to do so, and so has the international community. In my view the solution to the crisis will come only from within the Gulf.
On Qatar's economy, the Prime Minister said strengthening Qatar's economy is a top priority for the country. 'In all my meetings with HH the Emir, he asks me about the conditions of citizens and residents, as well as the economic situation of the country.
'I believe citizens and residents share my opinion that the impact of this crisis is very mild. Two weeks after the beginning of the crisis, things returned to normal.
From my personal point of view, he said, this crisis was like a wake up call for us in many areas. 'To reassure citizens and residents, I would like to say that Qatar's economy enjoys a strong position and is supported by huge monetary and financial reserves capable of supporting the Qatari currency and the Qatari economy.
He said that during the crisis there were illegal attempts by some to tamper with the Qatari currency and they tried to influence its value at the beginning of the blockade. 'However, this attempt, like others, has failed, and we issued a statement on this subject.
He said Qatar is countering these attempts in line with the law and will take all legal measures against anyone who participated in this crime.
On local products, he said we always encourage national production, so we have created many initiatives to encourage the local private sector, and give it the appropriate privileges, including lands, facilities and exemptions.
'We will emphasise on food, water and pharmaceutical security projects and God willing, we will increase our self-sufficiency.
To another question, H E the Prime Minister said that we were not oblivious to the issue of the lack of production of some food products. 'At the beginning of the crisis, H H the Emir told me, ‘The citizens and the residents are your responsibility. We do not want them to be affected [by this] at all.' For example, at the beginning of the crisis, we were importing about 90% of dairy from the blockading countries, but thankfully, within the first few hours of the beginning of the crisis, we were able to cover the needs of our market from other markets in the region and beyond.
He said that today our dairy production covers 40% of the needs of the Qatari market. 'We are currently working on increasing the production of meat, poultry and agricultural products, as well as fish farming. We will achieve self-sufficiency in some products in the coming year, God willing, as this is a clear directive from HH the Emir.
He said the economic vision of Qatar at this stage was determined by the directives of HH the Emir in his speech before the Shura Council.
'The first step was to continue diversifying the sources of economy and income away from oil. The government is working to implement these directives, by creating a more competitive economic environment that can better attract investment, and of course the public sector plays an important role in the implementation of this plan.
He said that in addition, during his chairing of the Council of Ministers' meeting last August, HH the Emir also gave directives to accelerate the finalisation of the Permanent Residency Law, which would allow permanent residency holders to undertake commercial activities and own residential and investment properties. In implementation of these directives, the draft law will be presented to the Shura Council in December, in preparation for its issuance.
He said that H H the Emir also gave directions to prepare a draft law for the ownership of real estate for non-Qataris. 'The project will be completed within one month of its date and will be implemented during the coming year.
The Prime Minister said that Qatar was also seeking to open doors to new industries and build new partnerships with countries that are not strictly commercial, but rather real partnerships where we work and invest together so that we reap the benefit of our investments.
He said we are trying to transform our economy into a knowledge-based economy and to unleash the potential of our youth for innovation and production.
'In addition to our National Vision 2030, we also have national strategies. Currently, we are implementing our second national strategy 2017-2022.
To another question about visas, he said the question of visas is indeed part of the economic plan of the state, but it requires extensive study. We have reviewed the procedures for issuing visit visas and they now apply to more than 80 nationalities, and all of this will improve the business environment and increase tourism.
On the 2014 plan, he said some of the accomplishments of this plan, which focused on the completion of some of the strategic projects of the State, including the establishment of Hamad International Airport and Hamad Port, which had a significant role in overcoming the strains of the blockade and indeed breaking the blockade.
On Hamad Port, the Prime Minister said that Hamad Port,the inauguration of which was attended by H H the Emir last September, is a strategic project not only for Qatar, but for the region.
'This is a project for us and for future generations. We now have 10 routes, and have reached almost 70 destinations around the world. Through the port, we attracted international shipping companies, and have acquired about 27% of cargo in the Middle East.
He said we in the government believe that our role towards the citizen requires us to provide five main pillars: appropriate health services; high quality education; provide job opportunities; appropriate housing and finally, an appropriate life after retirement suitable for those who served this country.
He said that global indicators reflect our focused work on these pillars; we have scored highly on the indicators of health, education and unemployment around the world.
Regarding health sector, he said healthcare is one of the most important pillars of Qatar's vision. 'By following global indicators we see that our health system is in the ranks of those systems in developed countries. During 2016 and 2017, a number of health facilities were opened and inaugurated in the Medical City, including the Centre for Communicable Diseases, the Women's Health Centre, the Day Care Centre and Sidra Medical Centre.
In addition, he said, the opening of the 'Bu Nakhla hospital is underway and planned for next year. 'We have started with the detailed plan for the hospital's new emergency and accident facilities, which when opened, will be one of the largest facilities of their kind in the region.
On education sector, the Prime Minister said in Qatar, we have put education at the top of our priorities. 'Any society that aspires to progress must pay attention to the education system to ensure that the education offered is good and distinguished.
'Upon the directives of HH the Emir, we are now working on developing an internal and external scholarship process. We give priority to the specialisations that we need and we hope that the young people of Qatar will head towards the rare specialty fields which the State needs.
On security aspect, he said in Qatar we live, as citizens and residents,in safety and security. 'According to the Crime Index,which is an important international index, Qatar has been ranked the safest country in the world this year.
He said this has not been achieved through the Ministry of the Interior, but through the respect of citizens and residents for the laws of the state, and the mutual respect between the government and the people, and their provision of a good quality of life and making laws clear for all.
On Shura Council elections, the Prime Minister said that the Shura Council elections are of course part of the process of strengthening the modern state of Qatar. 'HH the Emir has already given us directions to finalise the process for holding the Shura Council elections. The government is about to finalise amendments to some laws and prepare a law on electing the Shura Council, which God willing, will be presented to the Shura Council next year, as was stated in the speech of HH the Emir.
He said that the date of the elections will be announced after the issuance of the election law and amending the necessary legislation.
To a question, he said that in the GCC, we have been through many crises, and this is nothing new, but what is new is the path chosen by the blockading countries, especially orchestrated conspiracies; low standards of journalism; ignoring the humanitarian impact on GCC citizens.
'We will not allow our country to be harmed. Qatar is not an easy target and it will remain Glorious.
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