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May the Peace, Mercy and Blessings of Allah be upon you

First of all, I would like to thank my colleague, His Excellency Mr. José Manuel Albares, Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, and the friendly government of the Kingdom of Spain for their hospitality and warm welcome.

I would like to express my pleasure to be here in Madrid today to open the first round of the strategic dialogue between the State of Qatar and the Kingdom of Spain. Of course, the Qatari-Spanish partnership represents a successful model of bilateral and regional alliances, as this partnership was consolidated thanks to the close ties between our two friendly countries and peoples and our unified vision in all areas.

The important visit of His Highness the Amir to Madrid in 2022 has been a historic milestone in the course of our bilateral relations. It resulted in advancing relations to the level of strategic partnership and in the launch of the strategic dialogue, under the title of “Partnership towards Peace and Prosperity”.

Through this dialogue, we look forward to deepening cooperation in several areas, including regional and international diplomacy, defense and security, energy, trade and investment, as well as education and sports, and opening new horizons for cooperation in culture, tourism, science and innovation.

Your Excellency,

Spain is an important partner of the State of Qatar and one of the most important destinations for Qatari investments, covering various sectors and economic activities, including energy, real estate investment, capital market and sports. Our joint efforts to strengthen this partnership have resulted in the growth of trade volume in recent years with a cumulative growth rate of about 22% per annum from 2020 to 2023, largely due to the energy file, since the State of Qatar is one of the largest suppliers of natural gas to Spain.

Of course, we aspire to increase this in a positive way and also to ensure that it is distributed in different sectors. The attractive successful investment environment in Qatar has also succeeded in attracting Spanish investments with many Spanish companies entering into the Qatari market. In 2023, 220 Spanish companies contributed positively to the efforts of the State of Qatar, its development agenda, and economic diversification plans in all sectors that are in line with Qatar Vision 2030. We look forward to more investments and more Spanish companies entering the Qatari market, as well as Qatari-Spanish partnerships in Spain. We congratulate you on this development that Spain has witnessed, especially in the last five years.

At the cultural level, the State of Qatar and Spain are working on a number of initiatives to deepen the cultural partnership between the two countries, which will strengthen the friendship between the two friendly peoples. In this regard, we are pleased to announce that the State of Qatar is working on a number of cultural initiatives in the Kingdom of Spain, including the establishment of a Chair for Teaching Arabic Language and Andalusian Heritage at the University of Granada, in addition to providing scholarships to learn Arabic for non-native speakers at Qatar University.

As you know, Your Excellency, the deep partnership between Qatar and the Kingdom of Spain is not limited to bilateral cooperation. It rather extends to include diplomatic coordination in various international files. Our partnership is more critical than ever in light of the dangers that surround us and threaten global security and peace. This can be seen in the Middle East, where more than eight months have passed since the beginning of the war in Gaza with the continued targeting of civilians, the use of starvation as a weapon of war, forced displacement and indiscriminate bombing. On the European continent, we also witness the continuing Russian-Ukrainian war and its repercussions on civilians there and on global food and energy security.

We, in the State of Qatar, believe that reaching an immediate, urgent and sustainable ceasefire is the only way to de-escalate on all fronts and that diplomacy is the only way to end all these conflicts and wars. In this regard, the State of Qatar participated in the Peace Summit in Ukraine, which was held in the Federal Republic of Switzerland last week and we renewed our call to all parties to comply with the United Nations Charter and international law and to resort to peaceful resolution based on the commitment to resolve international disputes by peaceful means.

To this end, the State of Qatar has worked through mediation to reunite Ukrainian children with their families in coordination with Russia and Ukraine. Since the beginning of the war, it has been keen to support international efforts to address the worsening humanitarian repercussions of the conflict and sought to ensure that civilians are protected from its impact.

Of course, the efforts of the State of Qatar have continued, in cooperation with our regional and international partners, to end the war in the Gaza Strip and prevent the expansion of violence. The State of Qatar has so far evacuated more than 2,000 wounded and sick people and their companions, and sent 115 planes loaded with food, medical, relief and shelter supplies.

We are also working to reach an agreement to achieve a ceasefire and exchange prisoners and detainees. The State of Qatar is currently examining the responses of all parties and coordinating with our relevant partners regarding the next steps. Although our continuous efforts have not yet led to the desired results, we are counting on the readiness of our regional and international partners to exert all forms of pressure necessary to impose a ceasefire and immediately launch a comprehensive political process leading to a comprehensive, just and sustainable solution to the Palestinian issue.

In this context, we welcome the diplomatic and political efforts made by Spain to end the war in Gaza. Your moral position, Your Excellency, is clear in your decision to join the lawsuit filed by South Africa before the International Court of Justice. Spain is considered the first European country to take such a step, alongside your diplomatic efforts to recognize a Palestinian State on the 1967 borders. This is an important and historic step to support the two-state solution and achieve just and comprehensive peace and stability in the region, not to mention your continued support for humanitarian and relief efforts in the Gaza Strip and in the Palestinian Territories.

The Kingdom of Spain has provided a courageous and sincere moral example that expresses its ability to defend international law and the rule of law in international relations. It has also sent a message at a very critical time in world history that double standards must not be applied by countries and that the rule of law must apply to all.

Your Excellency, had it not been for your efforts and the steps that your country has taken, we would not have seen international action in this direction. We hope that the rest of the countries will follow this path, as we all depend on respect for international law to maintain international peace and security.

Your Excellency, there are security, political and humanitarian difficulties facing our two regions, whether in Europe or the Middle East. Our joint work and the continuous coordination between our two countries represent the best way to avoid the consequences of these conflicts. We are always ready to support Spanish efforts in various issues and we appreciate the cooperation in all fields between our two countries. We look forward to this strategic dialogue being another stage in meeting and advancing our bilateral relations.

Once again thank you, Your Excellency, for your hospitality and warm welcome.