The United States has presented HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani and Qatar's ambassador in Washington HE Sheikh Meshal bin Hamad al-Thani with the Department of Defence Medal for Distinguished Public Service, the highest honorary award given to US officials and governments officials of friendly countries.
The medals were granted in recognition of distinguished and exceptional services and impressive achievements made by persons concerned who deserve appreciation and praise for their performance. US National Security Adviser Ambassador Robert O'Brien handed the medals to Qatar's ambassador to the US, HE Sheikh Meshal bin Hamad al-Thani, who also received the award on behalf of the foreign minister.
The US Department of Defense said that awarding this high honour to Qatar foreign minister comes in recognition of his outstanding diplomatic efforts to strengthen relations between Qatar and the United States and his commitment to co-operation with the US across a range of fields. The department said the foreign minister's support for the US as a major ally of Qatar has created new opportunities for partnership. It also commended HE Sheikh Mohamed's major role in supporting and advancing peace efforts in Afghanistan, particularly his diplomatic leadership, which for decades has played an essential role in making great progress towards peace in Afghanistan, including the signing of the agreement between the United States and the Taliban on Feb 29, 2020, as well as the launch of the Afghan peace process on Sept 12. The Department of Defense said that HE Sheikh Mohamed, in his capacity as deputy prime minister and foreign minister of Qatar, has exerted relentless efforts to promote stability and prosperity in the region and resolve the Gulf dispute.
The US Department of Defense affirmed that awarding this high honour to Ambassador Sheikh Meshal comes in recognition of his efforts in strengthening relations between Qatar and the United States at the levels of foreign policies, defence, economy and national security.
The Department of Defense said that the ambassador played an effective and major role in planning and launching the Qatar-US Strategic Dialogue, and that his pivotal role contributed to the continuation and preservation of this dialogue. The United States commended the role of the ambassador, who worked to hold and organise meetings between officials and economic actors of the two countries, pointing out that the co-operation and commitment made by the Qatar envoy to achieve economic security had contributed to strengthening the national security and defence.
The US Department of Defense pointed out that the ambassador also emerged as the main interlocutor in strengthening the defence partnership between Qatar and the United States, and that his efforts to expand and deepen this co-operation between the two countries led to the strengthening of stability in the region, noting that the ambassador also supported the close co-operation between Qatar and the United States in the context of seeking peace in Afghanistan.
In addition, the US Department of Defense hailed the great assistance provided by the Qatar envoy to the American officials who traveled to Doha throughout the period from July, 2018 until December, 2020 to hold meetings with representatives of the Taliban, stating that the efforts reflect the role of Qatar in this regard and had also a positive impact on the safety and security of US personnel and officials in the region.
The medal is the highest honorary award bestowed by the US Department of Defense to national figures and political and military figures in foreign governments. The medal was adopted in 1947 and recognises the exceptionally distinguished service of significance to the Department of Defense as a whole, or service of such exceptional significance. This medal is given in recognition of the considerable personal sacrifice motivated by patriotism and a sense of public responsibility. It is also an acknowledgment by the Department of Defense of individuals' achievements and contributions that qualify them to receive this medal.
The medal was presented in the past to former US presidents Barack Obama, George W Bush, Bill Clinton and other prominent figures.
