Foreign Policy / Regional Issues / Arab Issues / Islamic Issues / International Issues / Membership In Organizations

Qatar is keen on effectively participating in all issues and challenges that confront the gulf region. It further attaches great importance to supporting the march of the GCC. Qatar also exerts strenuous efforts to help achieve Arab solidarity and build channels of confidence and communication among Arab States. Qatar also underlines the importance of the peaceful settlement of disputes between states. At the international arena, Qatar supports the United Nations efforts and acts to exchange relations with all the peace-loving states and peoples.

H.H. Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Emir of the State of Qatar is a man of prolific contribution and high potential in enriching the political practice, regionally and internationally. Generally speaking, those contributions have greatly helped to further boost the economic and political cooperation between Qatar and the entire world. Since his accession to power in June 1995, visits by scores of influential international dignitaries to Doha as well as the tours that took him to almost all corners of the three old continents and the two Americas have been gaining Qatar a position of eminence among the nations of the world and qualifying it to play a positive and influential role based on a political vision marked with transparency, realism and moderation.

Qatar has gone a long way down the road of international interaction since the dawn of its independence in 1971. Its emergence as a modern state started with acquiring its independence and continued to see Qatar transform

into a dynamic element on the international theatre, undertaking a full and responsible role on the regional and international arenas.

Qatar's emergence started by laying down the foundation of the state, constituting for its presence in the international arena by exchanging diplomatic missions with various nations of the world and joining the international community as a member of the major regional and international forums and organizations such as the UN, the Arab League and the Non-Aligned movement.

It has extended a lot of assistance to the Arab and third world countries. Its assistance was not limited to the states and governments; it catered for various non-governmental establishments and activities such as delivering the message of Islam, the dissemination of Arabic language and financial assistance for educational organizations at all levels.

As far as raising the qualifications and efficiency of cadres is concerned, the State of Qatar has experienced a qualitative leap in the area of administrative modernization of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its missions abroad, also in the area of training diplomats and consular staff by means of systematic and educational courses to build their capacities.

The outstanding success of the Qatari diplomacy is mainly attributed to the wise directives of H.H. the Emir, Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, then to the energetic activities of the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jabor Al Thani, who continues to intensify contact with officials in various countries through his repeated international visits and to focus on expanding the scope of relations with the African, Asian and Latin American countries, besides strengthening the relations with the Arab and European countries and the USA.

The keen observer of Qatar's diplomatic march must notice with admiration the record speed in which a recently independent country, which is just trying to find a foot hold in the international arena, has turned into a prominent and driving element with a widely recognized pioneering role.