Sheikha Alya says cultural diplomacy effective tool to serve national interests

HE Qatar's Permanent Representative to the UN Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif al-Thani took part in the second edition of the Libraries Lead Forum held in Doha.
In her speech at the Forum, HE Sheikha Alya extended thanks to HE Chair of the Board of Trustees of Qatar National Library Sheikha Hind bint Hamad al-Thani for her kind invitation to deliver a speech highlighting the role and impact of cultural institutions, initiatives and efforts of Qatar on cultural diplomacy in the United States.
She expressed her pleasure at the launch of the second edition of the prestigious forum of the Qatar National Library, and also praised the pioneering humanitarian role played by the library in the field of developing and disseminating knowledge as an elite research institution that preserves the national heritage of Qatar and the region.
HE Sheikha Alya stated that she deeply believes in the role of cultural diplomacy as an effective tool of soft power influencing the service of the vital national interests of states, and in making an influential position in the international arena, and added that cultural diplomacy works to accumulate soft power, whose impact and effectiveness can be stronger and deeper than hard power in many cases.
Cultural diplomacy plays a fundamental role in cementing states' strength and international position, she said adding that cultural institutions and initiatives in Qatar play a vital and inspiring role in addition to development, educational and media institutions, as tools of soft and influential power.
With regard to Qatar Museums, she stated that Qatar possesses some of the most prominent and ancient international art collections. She also pointed to the 2022 partnership between Qatar Museums and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, which included the Hall of the Islamic World dubbed "Qatar Hall" in the Metropolitan Museum in the heart of New York -- as it expresses the symbolic and strategic dimension of this initiative in the context of cultural diplomacy.
He lauded the other creative projects and initiatives of Qatar Museums in the field of cultural diplomacies, such as the initiative to organise cultural years, which included several countries, like Japan, the UK, Brazil, Turkey, China, Germany, Russia, India, France, and the US.
She also pointed to the great role of the Cultural Village Foundation (Katara) and the smart strategic partnerships with international cultural institutions, and the membership of Qatar in the largest of these institutions, adding that the international conferences and forums hosted by the Qatar every year play a role in building bridges of human and civilised communication, such as The Doha Forum, which is hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) and the World Innovation Summit for Healthcare (WISH), which are organised by Qatar Foundation.
She pointed out that Qatar's hosting of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 was the largest example of integration and harmony between well-known traditional diplomacy, cultural and sports diplomacy, and added that Qatar succeeded in hosting the most successful World Cup in the history of football. (QNA)