Spanish Ambassador H E Javier Carbajosa Sánchez (first right), his wife Ambreen Qazi and A Nasser Al Khater (third left) during the ‘Friends of Spain’ Awards on Tuesday.
Doha: Ambassador of Spain to Qatar H E Javier Carbajosa Sanchez has disclosed that Qatar’s position globally as a force that ensures global stability and security is a top priority put the country in an important role in world affairs, which played a significant role in both countries upgrading their ties to strategic partnership.
Last year, H H the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani visited Spain for the first time and was accorded an official reception ceremony upon his arrival at the Royal Palace in Madrid.
“It’s (Qatar) a small country, but I have to say that we all stand in awe in terms of how much they punch. They are present in every mediation effort in the international arena. At the same time, they are a major gas provider,” Sanchez told reporters on the sidelines of the ‘Friends of Qatar’ Awards yesterday organised by the Chamber of Commerce of Spain in Qatar.
“Their contribution to the market of liquefied natural gas is just amazing. So again, we decided it was the moment to go ahead with the strategic partnership. I think our Qatari friends agreed with that, and that is why we decided to elevate the rank,” he added.
Sanchez disclosed that as part of the partnership, both sides are in discussion to hold a strategic dialogue once every year, with the first one set to take place in Qatar soon.
Speaking on Qatar’s accomplishments with the FIFA World Cup 2022, overcoming the pandemic and other geopolitical events, Sanchez said Qatar is at a stage where it has reasserted its status in the region of which Spain would like to partner. The Spanish envoy said his country could contribute more to the country’s food security strategy, infrastructure development, energy and tourism, which he said could be a significant source of income for the Gulf country.
“Before the pandemic, we received 82 million tourists in Spain. So I think that we have something to say about this. Qatar is a beautiful country, has a lot to offer, and we would be more than happy to share our thoughts and to tell her to tell them what has been our journey, what has been our experience,” he added.
On trade, Sanchez said trade and commerce between both countries put Qatar on the good side, adding that the Qatari investments in the Iberian nation are very important. He also noted the MoU between both investment agencies last year to elevate Qatar’s investment in Spain to $5bn.
Meanwhile, three Qataris were celebrated by the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Qatar for their contributions to the strong ties between Qatar and Spain. Omar Al Fardan was recognised with the Individual Businessman Award; Umm Al Houl Power, represented by Jamal Al Khalaf, were presented the Corporate Award; Qatar 2022 CEO Nasser Al Khater received the Special Award.
In a statement, the president of the Chamber of Commerce of Spain in Qatar, David Quintanilla, lauded the recipients for their contributions to supporting Spanish businesses in Qatar and its culture.
He added that the Chamber of Commerce now has a record 65 members across oil and gas, roads, railways, metro, water treatment and maintenance, urban maintenance and operations, facility services, energy, IT, Big data management, R&D on artificial intelligence and many others.
