On July 28, 1821, Argentinian general Jose De San Martin proclaimed the independence of Peru, in Plaza de Arms of Lima by giving a speech affirming: “As of this moment, Peru is free and independent by the general voluntell of the peoples and by the justice of their cause that God defends, long live the homeland, long live freedom and long live independence”. Since that moment, Peru freed itself from the European colonisation.
Two hundred years of an independent country, the path and challenges to achieve a development that reaches all our populations with their own cultures and traditions in a territory of more than one million square kilometres, has been and continues to be a process in development.
Heirs of a great historical legacy left by the Empire of the Incas, and other previous cultures, the Peruvians have become driven by their achievements and willingness to progress, under the good and the difficult circumstances, and of those inequalities that together as a nation we overcome. 
We have built a country proud of its roots with a mountain range or walk and a coast in front of the Pacific Ocean with countless riches. On the coast, the Culture of Caral with five thousand years old, and the world wonder of Machu Picchu. 
In all that course of the years, we have been sharing common values with many countries, which also managed to separate themselves from the great metropolises and make their own path of development. 
Today, Peru is considered one of the world’s leading emerging markets. It is a country that is characterised by its diversity, different climates, history, vast territorial expanse, significant natural resources, the authenticity of its people and its unique resources. 
It is on that same path that we met a friendly country, a country of pride and sovereignty known as Qatar, with which we identify in shared internal and external objectives.  
November 7, 1989 was the beginning of the establishment of building strong and stable bilateral and multilateral relations between the Republic of Peru and State of Qatar. The exchange of high-level visits followed by the arrival of different delegations symbolised a deepened political trust between the two nations. Followed by the first official visit of His Highness the Father Amir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, in February 2013 to Peru, and the visit of the Peruvian president to Qatar in February 2014, as well as the visit of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, highlighted by talks and signed agreements between the officials of the two countries.
Both Peru and Qatar are countries based on the rule of law, whose policies are based on co-operation, political dialogue, promotion of trade and investments as well as the importance of human rights, the fight against poverty, terrorism, environmental conservation and education and health for all. Thus, it is our duty to work hand in hand in order to establish a better bilateral relationship and work towards strengthening our ties in all the different economic, cultural, political and social aspects. We look forward to Peru and Qatar signing the ‘air services agreement’ and co-operation agreement in the health sector. 
Peru took part in one of the most important education summits  — WISE — with the Peruvian delegation expressing gratitude and appreciation to Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, who has been guiding all her efforts throughout the years towards education, science and community development. 
We always extend our gratitude to the Government of Qatar and its people in the event of the donation of equipment and medicines due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the co-operation of Red Crescent network through the Red Cruz of Lima.  
On the other hand, the entire world, including my country Peru, is waiting for the most important sport event in the world. When Qatar was awarded the right to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup, it marked a breakthrough in sporting development not only in Qatar, but the wider Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region. In the recent years, the latter has hosted a wide range of high-profile international sporting events, which has paved the way for the country to become more than a place for the world’s leading athletes to perform for a few brief weeks at a time. 
Undoubtedly, Qatar will host an unforgettable edition of the 2022 World Cup that the planet will always remember. We look forward to the participation of the Peruvian national team during this great sporting event in Doha. 
Peruvians, on this National Anniversary, express our sincere recognition and gratitude to the State of Qatar under the leadership of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, and its people, for its constant generosity towards helping many countries and nations in need that require not only financial support but also a strong ally to count on as an acquired right within the international community. 
We must also stress the great role that Qatar is playing as a significant mediator in bringing peace and equal fundamental rights for men and women, the value of the humanity as mentioned in the Charter of the United Nations supranational organisation to which we have belonged to for decades.
On this very special occasion and on behalf of all the Peruvian citizens, I extend my sincere gratitude and appreciation to Qatar and wish Peru a Happy 200 years of Independence and many more years of peace, prosperity and independence.  
Friendship forever between Peru and Qatar!!!

 



PICTURESQUE: Nestled high in the slopes of the Andes is the iconic Machu Picchu in Peru, a top-of-the-list bucket landmark for any wannabe global tourist.