‘An important reference document for all sectors’

Ambassadors of different countries yesterday praised the speech delivered by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani at the opening of the 48th ordinary session of the Shura Council.Pasquale Salzano, ambassador of Italy“I would like to congratulate His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani for the wise speech delivered at the Shura Council. His Highness made it clear that the vision guiding Qatar is based on high moral values, justice and education empowerment of young generations. Social inclusion for all, protection of human rights and cultural participation represent the pillars of this vision. We particularly appreciate that His Highness also recognised and praised the crucial role played by foreign communities in the social and economic development of the country, as they have contributed significantly to the growth of all sectors of interest. “In the lively and multicultural Qatari environment, reforms are considered an important tool to ensure positive change and equality. Dialogue and co-operation, as underlined by His Highness, are essential to this process. They also represent the only means to resolve international and regional disputes, and overcome any difficulties that might arise.”“Congratulations on the opening of the 48th ordinary session of the Shura Council. China appreciates that Qatar is steadily marching ahead towards democracy in accordance with its unique national conditions. We are delighted to see that Qatar has made significant achievements economically and socially. We sincerely wish brotherly Qatar greater progress on the path towards Qatar National Vision 2030. “China supports the efforts of Qatar in safeguarding its sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, and appreciates Qatar’s position to resolve the Gulf crisis through dialogue and negotiation within the framework of the GCC. We hope that the parties could take account of the interests of Gulf states as a whole and resolve their differences through dialogue as soon as possible, so as to contribute to regional peace and stability.”Kazuo Sunaga, ambassador of Japan“I followed the speech of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani with great interest. It comprehensively addressed many important issues of the national, regional and international level. Among the issues His Highness the Amir mentioned in his speech, I am particularly interested in the preparations for the Shura Council elections. We praise His Highness’s decision to establish the high committee for the Shura Council elections to accelerate the process. I sincerely hope that conducting elections and allowing the Shura Council to practise its legislative functions will further strengthen Qatar and have a significant and positive impact on the society.“I also appreciate the continuous efforts by Qatar to reform and reinforce its institutions according to the provisions of the constitution. I believe this is one of the reasons of the resilience and firmness shown by of the government and people of Qatar even under difficult circumstances in these years. In view of our long-standing friendship, the government and people of Japan are willing to support these efforts performed by Qatar towards a better future of the country.”Belen Alfaro, ambassador of Spain“His Highness the Amir’s speech is a very important document and reference for all sectors for steadily moving towards achieving the goals of Qatar National Vision 2030. The Qatari economy has shown consistency and strength supported by the policies undertaken by the Government of Qatar. The laws issued by the Council that were discussed during the last session of the Shura Council, quoted in His Highness’s speech, were essential to achieve progress and reform.“Progress made is notable in many economic areas that were pointed out by His Highness, and it is very impressive how the budget deficit of 2017 has turned into a surplus. I would like to highlight that His Highness stressed that the economic progress and the budgetary balance were made while maintaining, at the same time, the focus on priority sectors, especially education, health and investment in infrastructure. “I appreciate especially the emphasis given by His Highness on the attention to the human being as the pillar of development, and on the importance of quality education, culture and the prevailing values and ethics. “Finally, I would like to highlight the positive role played by the Qatari women who participate in the Shura Council in discussing the bills.”