ATHENS: Qatar’s Ambassador to Athens, Abdulaziz Ali Al Naama, has stated his country is keen to invest in Greece
In an interview with Greek newspaper Ta Nea, he said relations between Qatar and Greece are developing continuously in light of meetings between officials in both countries and the exchange of high-level official visits.
He said Qatar is keen on strengthening bilateral relations with Greece, noting the mutual diplomatic support in international conferences and organisations, the signing of a number of agreements, increasing air traffic, and completing important pending agreements that highlight the development of bilateral relations.
Within the scope of aviation, Qatar Airways added two destinations to it network – Thessaloniki and the island of Mykonos- to the already existing flights to Athens. Al Naama pointed to the activation of the visa waiver agreement for holders of diplomatic and special passports, which has entered into force.
Based on special agreements related to investment between Qatar and Greece, he said Qatar has special institutions and agencies in the investment field, such as the Qatar Investment Authority, which specialises in foreign investment in all sectors.
World Cup preparations
On Qatar’s preparations to host the FIFA 2022 World Cup, the envoy said Qatar is a sporting destination and by hosting the mega event, it seeks to prove to the world the Arab world has the ability to organise such huge global extravaganzas.
Al Naama said the last stadium would be completed in 2021, one year before the tournament begins. Qatar has moved from the stage of preparation to the stage of reality, which includes planning, preparing and selecting the stadiums that would host the opening and the final matches, he stated.
Unjust blockade
On the unjust blockade imposed on Qatar, the ambassador underlined Qatar has succeeded in overcoming the blockade and its negative effects. Qatar has triumphed over the blockade and turned it into a catalyst to achieve more in various fields, and has become stronger than ever, he said.
“Since the start of the Gulf crisis, Qatar has called for dialogue, which must be within the framework of a charter based on four foundations, namely mutual respect, common interests, non-dictation of foreign policy, and non-interference in internal affairs,: said Al Naami.
Doha has moved to the stage of placing the blockading countries in the dock, whereby the UAE was placed before the International Court of Justice due to its continuous violations of human rights against Qatar and its citizens.
Doha also took Saudi Arabia to international human rights organisations with regard to its politicisation of the Hajj and the obstruction of Qatari pilgrims freely performing their religious rituals.
The World Trade Organization also issued its ruling against Saudi Arabia’s violations of intellectual property rights of Qatari companies, specifically because of Riyadh’s refusal to take measures against the piracy channel beoutQ and to encourage this piracy against the the Qatari beIN SPORTS.