Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs: World Cup Helped Accelerate Implementing Qatar National Vision 2030

Doha, April 13 (QNA) - HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani said that the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 helped accelerate the pace of implementing the state's project related to Qatar National Vision 2030, adding that it also made a number of different political and economic achievements.
His Excellency spoke to Qatar TV today and said that the State of Qatar, after winning the right to host the World Cup in 2010, saw some mix up the number of investments related to the event. His Excellency said that the infrastructure projects established by the state for the World Cup were part of Qatar National Vision 2030, and that the competition made a vital contribution in speeding up the completion of these projects. His Excellency noted that measuring the benefit from these projects is measured by the size of investments related directly to the competition or the state generally.
His Excellency said that these projects were going to be implemented regardless of the competition, adding that the state's success as a result of hosting the World Cup outachieved the success of the competition itself.
His Excellency said that the competition played a big role in familiarizing people with the State of Qatar, the small Arab and Muslim country that managed to achieve this level of success. His Excellency said that the success was thanks to Allah Almighty and the support of all citizens and residents who set an example to supporting the competition and opened up their homes for the countries guest to help them get to know the country that was not well known before then.
His Excellency said that the State of Qatar will bear the fruit of hosting the World Cup in the coming years.
He pointed out that opinion polls in magazines and international websites have proven this success achieved by Qatar in hosting the tournament, noting that the opinion polls proved that the tournament in Qatar achieved the highest viewership and the highest success rate recognized by the whole world.
His Excellency also pointed out that The Economist magazine prepared a report on the economic and financial benefits of countries from hosting the World Cup, in which it said that no country hosted the competition for financial gains, but that what Qatar achieved in terms of economic and tourism growth was only possible by organizing an event of this size.
He referred to the assurances of HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani prior to the tournament, that the State of Qatar, which was subjected to these attacks because of hosting the World Cup, will prove to all, with the efforts of its citizens and residents, how it has an open and hospitable people, adding that it was something clear to everyone during the competition.
His Excellency highlighted that hosting the World Cup was a starting point and not the final destination, adding that there are big and ambitious plans in line with the directives of HH the Amir, particularly in terms of economic openness and in tourism.
In this context, His Excellency referred to some indicators that reflect the great results of hosting the World Cup, noting that the State of Qatar welcomed 730 thousand tourists in the first two months of 2023, which was a number that took a whole year to achieve before the World Cup.
His Excellency said that the numbers keep increasing with March seeing a large number of tourists, noting that it was one of the main pillars of the country's future plans.
HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs noted that the goal of the State of Qatar is not only to host the World Cup and sporting events, but also to host various other international events, whether diplomatic or mediation, or economic events, international conferences, and others, noting that Qatar has accumulated great experience over the years at this level.
His Excellency said that the World Cup was the biggest sporting event hosted by the state and achieved a success the state will build upon other successes, including hosting other competitions.

HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani said that Qatar's hosting of such global events is part of the country's soft diplomacy. Some may ask about Qatar's need for soft diplomacy or soft power; Qatar is a small country and the issue of soft power and soft diplomacy is essential for proving its existence and protecting its security, His Excellency said. 
Hosting international events also contributes greatly to fostering the country's position as a key and important player in the region and the world, which greatly contributes to protecting and defending the country, His Excellency said. This was manifested at many times when the State of Qatar proved its existence and its importance and weight in all global events; this is what it aspires and strives to complete, His Excellency noted.
His Excellency highlighted that the World Cup legacy represented in the tournament projects was taken into account when the decision was made to submit the World Cup bid. Upon the directives of HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC) was initiated, with legacy employed as a key factor to enable the state to benefit from all the tournament-related activities and projects.
The World Cup-linked infrastructure was part of the Qatar Vision 2030, and the sports projects that have been accomplished, including stadiums and facilities, will be used in the light of a clear plan and vision, not only at the national level, but even at the level of the least developed countries, His Excellency said. 
The World Cup generated a very large revenue for the national economy, and it will also be reflected in many countries that are in dire need of such development, His Excellency said, voicing hopes that everyone would follow the model set by the State of Qatar regarding its unprecedented initiatives in the history of sports tournaments.
The World Cup has brought a lot of achievements, making the State of Qatar a distinctive landmark, and this has economic revenues on tourism, His Excellency said, noting the necessity to build on these achievements and maximize the results and benefits from them in every possible way.
Regarding the steps to further develop and improve the services provided to citizens and residents, His Excellency affirmed that the directives of HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani are clear to the government, and these directives were reflected in all His Highness' speeches in the Shura Council.
    His Excellency stressed that the government's mission is to implement these directives, manage the State and its resources, achieve the highest and best efficiency and best productivity from the available resources, and provide remarkable services. This is a major part of the government's mission, which is to provide services to every citizen and resident, whether an investor or a tourist. It generates revenues for the state and enhances its resources, His Excellency said. 
HE added that the whole world, including the State of Qatar, constantly faces challenges. The State of Qatar is, in the end, a small, newly created country and its human capacity is limited, but it has been able to build its government system, His Excellency noted, adding that the accumulation of knowledge and institutional experience is a journey that requires time and continuous and lasting development.
His Excellency stressed that excellence is a goal that the government seeks, and is keen to develop the level of services provided to nationals, residents and tourists, especially with today's transformation in government services being based on customers themselves  - how to provide them with the best services and the highest efficiency. 
His Excellency Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani highlighted the several initiatives devised in 2022 and 2023 such as the Qatar Government Excellence Award that urges government departments to provide the best level of services. His Excellency also highlighted the Sharek platform, which will be launched soon to enable beneficiaries to evaluate the government performance and to accelerate the government agencies' performance using artificial intelligence. Such initiatives aim to permanently and continuously improve the level of services, His Excellency said. 
Commenting on the share of Qatari nationals in the country's labor market, His Excellency pointed out that almost 90 percent of them are employed in the government, showing a shared responsibility - this citizen is a beneficiary of a service in one place, and a service provider in another. 
His Excellency stressed that the wise leadership relies on the efforts of citizens to provide services at the best level to citizens, residents and other visitors to the country. 

Regarding the plans set by the state to deal with the huge number of graduates, HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, said that Qatar is a small country and government institutions have a limited absorption capacity, adding that last year, 7,127 citizens and job seekers were employed, of whom 5,200 were employed in the government sector, and around 1,900 in the private sector. This number shows a leap, in the numbers that the private sector has begun to absorb, he noted.
His Excellency went on saying that it would be unsustainable if the focus was only on employing citizens in the government jobs, as at some stage the government sector will suffer saturation or disguised unemployment, adding that in order for the government to provide the best level of services, it should provide job opportunities every year, open up to the private sector which must have a contribution to employing Qataris, and this is a very important factor. In addition, there should be personal initiatives from citizens, for them to be investors, creators, or developers of  specific ideas to enter into the field of business and entrepreneurship, he added stressing "These are among the matters that are considered primary for us, and have become a necessity and not only for luxury. We seek to develop all these matters and programs."
HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs explained that the state has provided a platform to facilitate job opportunities and present them transparently to citizens, and will seek to provide the best levels of education and training needed by the national cadre, to be qualified and competitive in the labor market. He added that the economic initiatives will come one after the other, so that there will be incentives for citizens to find opportunities in the private sector  in addition to other investment opportunities, to build a more vibrant economy.
On the new method that the government will deal with in the education and health sectors and the challenges it faces, His Excellency said: "The state's general budget is published annually, and everyone sees what the state's revenues are spent on. The education and health sectors constitute 20 percent of the state's general budget, which is considered a very high percentage of government spending.
There is no doubt that the importance of education and health is utmost for us as a country, of all citizens and residents. The state has a certain role in providing the best possible health services to everyone who lives on its land, His Excellency said.
There are some administrative problems, and some complaints about late appointments, and so forth, but this does not mean that the health service is not at the required level. During the Covid crisis, the health sector in the State of Qatar has proven its solidity and has achieved what countries with long-standing health institutions have failed to. Some hospitals that are more than 100 years old and could not bear the burden bourn by a hospital that is about 30 or 35 years old, such as Hamad Hospital and other Ministry of Public Health's facilities. No doubt that they are making an effort, and no doubt that there are shortcomings and challenges, we do not deny that, and we are vigorously following on these challenges.
"We spoke with the Ministry of Public Health about the importance of developing a plan to overcome these administrative obstacles and improve the level of service, and its results will begin to appear after the holy month. By the end of April, there will be some programs that facilitate the process of obtaining appointments as quickly as possible."
His Excellency stressed that the education sector is the main tributary of all competencies that work in the country and work on pushing forward its development. For HH the Amir it is the most important sector, he said adding that schools and teachers, to the State of Qatar and the Qatari society, have a great status, and the profession of the teacher is considered to be one of the noblest professions, and there are programs in which the Ministry of Education has established to attract Qataris to the teaching profession and work to attract them. Schools and teachers in the State of Qatar and the Qatari society enjoy a high status, and teaching is considered to be one of the noblest professions. The Ministry of Education and Higher Education has established a number of programs to attract Qataris to the teaching profession. There is a good number of Qatari teachers he said pointing that the state will provide the highest quality education services. His Excellency acknowledged the presence of some shortcomings, asserting that through dialogue with the beneficiaries of these services, the state will strive in every way to provide the best level of education. 
Education is not the job pf schools alone, he said affirming that it is done in the school, home and everywhere and that parents have a responsibility and schools have a responsibility. For its part, the government will assume its responsibility towards schools, and will raise the bar to see students in Qatar schools as competitive students in the region and in the world. "We aspire for more and count on our youth in schools to give their best. We always strive to modernize this system and use modern methods in it, so that our graduates are also competitive."  

Commenting on the country's economic diversification and preparedness to confront an expected global economic recession, His Excellency said that Qatar is part of the world, and it experienced the global economic crises such as the Asian Financial Crisis in 1997 and 1998, the 2008 international financial crisis that started in the US and the Covid-19 crisis. Qatar is perceived internally and externally as a rich country that benefits a lot from its natural resources, but the State of Qatar has economically outperformed the world in terms of inflation rates, His Excellency said, alluding to the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) 2022 report that put the global inflation rate at 8.8 percent, while Qatar's was almost at five percent. Inflation levels are always observed worldwide, and the inflation rate in the State of Qatar is always below the global average; this is considered a good economic performance, His Excellency said. 
Qatar's GDP in 1992 was about QR 23 billion, and it reached QR 864 billion in 2022, which means that the size of the economy has grown 38 times, His Excellency added. Qatar, which was on the verge of bankruptcy in the mid-1990s, would not have achieved this economic growth without investing in its gas resources as part of its 2030 vision that depends on the diversification of its economy and  income sources. 
His Excellency said that the country's economic diversification is divided into two parts: diversification of the economic base and that of its sources of income. Qatar has made great strides in the diversification of the economic base, with the hydrocarbon sector's contribution to the GDP having decreased significantly compared to other sectors, His Excellency said, highlighting that the hydrocarbon sector makes more than 50 percent of the GDP amid a significant increase in the contribution of other sectors.
His Excellency hailed the Qatar Investment Authority as a tool for diversifying the country's sources of income and an insurance policy for future generations. The State invests its current surpluses for the future. During the Covid-19 crisis, a barrel of oil reached USD18, causing a significant decline in the country's revenues; the QIA was initiated to be an insurance policy for future generations, and the State is heading towards diversifying economic sectors and encouraging foreign investment, His Excellency added.
The next stage is transitional regarding the diversification of income sources, His Excellency said, highlighting that the third and final development plan aimed at reaching better achievements in the future will be launched within two months to achieve Qatar Vision 2030. 
Dismissing critiques against Qatar's foreign investments, His Excellency said that the QIA invests internally and externally to fill a gap in the economy in which the private sector is still ready to invest in. The role of the QIA is to fill this gap until the private sector has the readiness and ability to invest in this sector; here the QIA' role must decrease so as not to be a competitor to the private sector, and this is what we aspire to, His Excellency said. As for foreign investments, they are based on purely commercial decisions and the principle of profit and loss, His Excellency added. 
Highlighting the QIA's super excellent economic performance that competes with other funds, His Excellency highlighted the QIA's 2008 purchase of shares in Volkswagen, followed by the 2009 purchase of Harrods financed by the profits of the Volkswagen deal. This single deal is an example, and the value of Harrods today is many times its value in 2009, which is a great overall achievement, His Excellency said.
His Excellency noted that he presided over the QIA and witnessed that the major investment funds always followed the QIA's decisions based on their conviction that such decisions were made after a proper assessment. The QIA includes all the State's resources, and any withdrawal necessitates a decision at the highest levels, His Excellency said.

On the state's support for national products and companies, His Excellency Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs said: "We have seen great progress in the national product and in the entrepreneurial spirit of the national companies in the State of Qatar. The state has played a role in stimulating and supporting national production. In the coming years, instead of being a participant and filling a gap through the QIA, we aspire for the state to be an organizer, policy-setter and stimulus for these sectors.
With regard to the strategic plan for the sectors, His Excellency said: "The state will work to fully stimulate these sectors, and stimulate productivity and exports. Industry is an important element. In the end, we are a small market and we will work to utilize the competitive advantage that we possess. The logistics sector is a very important sector, and in order to provide services to the logistics sector, The seaport is built to the highest standards as well as the airport. The tourism sector, and how can we increase the number of tourists, will also be an important and priority sector; we aim to increase the number of tourists to 6 million by 2030 and increase the contribution of the tourism sector to the GDP to 12 percent".
He added that this number is ambitious, but the state will strive to achieve it. "Also in the technology and the creativity sectors, the state has very high-level universities and educational institutions. And we count on the students to turn to this sector, especially the creative ones in it. The state will motivate them and attract international companies in this sector so that they can benefit from these international companies."
He stressed that the State of Qatar has the best technology infrastructure in the region and seeks to make the most of it, in addition to maximizing the benefits of investments, by diversifying the economy, encouraging the national products, developing ongoing programs to improve the level of services for investors, setting clear incentive programs, and setting clear policies and systems for investors to be dealt with smoothly by the investors and by the state. 

Responding to a question about the plans of state ministries to continue and invest the great momentum achieved by Qatar in hosting the World Cup, what is the government's priority during the next stage, and the level of satisfaction with government performance, His Excellency said: "The World Cup was a starting point, not a final destination. Today, the investment of all this success lies with us as a government, private sector, and people. As for the plans that we are focusing on today, as I mentioned, there are three main axes; First, attention to the education and health systems so that they exhibit the best performance and addresses all the problems and challenges they face. The other point is focusing on improving government performance and providing the best level of service, being a major auxiliary factor for the economy and for the growth of the state.
He added that there are many initiatives, some of which have been discussed, and officials will talk about them in the future. "As for the economy and how to benefit from it, we focus on the sectors that have been mentioned, as well as others. several other sectors has been approved and will be implemented within the third national development plan during the coming months. They include programs for stimulating and developing exports. We seek a competitive private sector, not only in the State of Qatar, but a global competitor, and this competition requires the state to put in place the appropriate regulatory frameworks, and to encourage and support these companies. Doha is a small market compared to other global markets, and we also encourage Qatari companies to export their services and products to global markets. The state will seek to open these global markets to Qatari companies," he said.
Regarding the extent of satisfaction with government performance, His Excellency said: "They are doing a great job.. but we always aspire for more and for the better.. there are challenges and there are shortcomings in some of the services provided today.. we wish the government of Qatar to always excel in providing the best level of service to all."
In response to a question about the retirement law and its executive regulations, which concerns a large segment of Qatari citizens, when it will be issued, and whether there will be any change to it, His Excellency said: "We place the executive regulations of the retirement law among the main priorities that must completed as soon as possible. We directed the concerned authorities to expedite the completion of legal procedures. In the coming weeks, we hope to issue the executive regulations after the Eid holiday. We consider it to be one of the first steps that will provide the necessary requirements for retirees according to the law, and there are no amendments. We will apply the regulation, and then we will see how to improve the level.. According to the new law, the minimum pension is considered one of the best in the world, and it may equal the maximum pension in other countries. Today we are in a good position and with the issuance of the executive regulations, and placing the law in force, everyone will feel the difference."
Responding to a question about income tax and value-added tax, His Excellency said: "Until now, there is nothing in the government agenda on the issue of income tax, and it is not in our plans." As for the value-added tax, He explained: "It is an expenditure tax, not an income tax, and this is within the obligations of the Gulf system. Until now, the matter of when it will be applied has not been studied, but it is something that exists and will be applied on a specific segment of goods, and in the end it is directly related to spending, and does not deduct anything from the citizen's income."
In response to a question about Qatari coordination to create a unified Arab position to stop the Israeli violations of the courtyards of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, His Excellency said: "Many contacts took place at the time of the events with some brothers in the Arab countries, and there is always consultation and coordination between us and them. The position is always unified regarding these violations.
"But we always wonder what are the practical steps to stop these violations? Today there is intense communication between the Kingdom of Jordan and the Arab Republic of Egypt with the United States as well to try to deter the Israelis from these actions. 
Until now, the situation is calm and we are following it closely. There must be a political horizon, and putting an end to these violations, because the recent dangerous racist and ideological practices could develop in the future if they are not eradicated from now."
Asked about the rise in gas prices and the State of Qatar's announcement of an expansion in gas projects, the budget surplus and its impact on citizens, and the possibility of an increase in salaries,  His Excellency said: "As for the issue of investment in gas expansion, it will be accompanied by great opportunities mainly for the private sector. Almost two years ago, the In-Country Value program was launched to localize industries related to oil and gas by the private sector to serve this sector within the country.
"This program is being worked on by Qatar Energy and is progressing at a good pace, and now we are seeking to support and expand this program, and there are opportunities in this field."
With regard to the surpluses achieved by the state, His Excellency said: "We are facing two options today, and there are examples from many countries, whether oil-producing or those that have resources, there are countries that tend to liquidate wealth and others tend to develop wealth. 
"In the end, I don not think that any of the people of Qatar would accept that we be only a rentier or consuming country. We want to add and always provide more and develop this income, and this has proven its effectiveness. 
"The size of economy has doubled 38 times, and this is a great achievement, we seek to further double it for Qatar to compete global economies, if we just seek to increase direct income, this income will be gradually depleted."
His Excellency highlighted the country's permanent financial framework that stipulates how to use surpluses through clear channels such as the public debt, which is considered a major path for using surpluses, and raising the Qatar Central Bank's reserves of foreign currencies needed for Qatar's imported products, and the QIA investments.   
Hailing the QIA as one of the world's best performing sovereign funds, His Excellency said that the State directs to develop it to be one of the world's largest sovereign funds to provide a decent life in the future. 
Surpluses have their planned expenditure paths. We hope, through the opportunities provided for citizens and also their efforts, that their incomes would increase and multiply, His Excellency added.

Regarding the government's plan to provide job security for Qatari employees in the private sector in light of the challenges the private sector faces including promotions, vacations, professional development and job security, His Excellency said that the state shoulders the responsibility to provide services to citizens and residents, and the citizens shoulder the responsibility of maintaining their job security by developing themselves continuously so as not to lose their jobs.
His Excellency added that the state provided the main tools by offering a structure for retirement and a way to organize retirement and social insurance - guarantees that are supposed to provide part of job security. The State also provided education at the highest level so that the citizen is always competitive, but in the private sector, just as it is high-risk, it is also high in revenues, His Excellency said, highlighting that the spirit of risk is essential for revenues.
His Excellency said: "We care about the success of the private sector and its motivation so that the citizen does not lose his job in this sector. Regarding training and development, I think the private sector has become today a competitive sector and is interested in training and development. 
"As for the local private sector, it still needs development, but the joint private sector is greatly interested in development, and the best competencies that are employed in the government come from this sector." 
In response to a question about the mechanism for replenishing the Sovereign Fund during the coming years, His Excellency said that there is a financial framework mechanism that depends mainly on surpluses, where the Sovereign Fund shall be one of the aspects of disbursing these surpluses, pointing out that HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, directed, when announcing the gas expansion, that the gas expansion revenues shall be invested for future generations, and after it enters into production, it will be a major tributary to the fund. Qatar sets interim targets, and hopes to be one of the five largest sovereign funds soon, His Excellency said.
Responding to a question about health insurance for citizens and pressure on appointments in health centers, His Excellency said that applying new health insurance program usually encounters errors and defects, indicating that health insurance ultimately aims to provide health services to citizens and residents in a balanced manner with the state's spending on the health sector.
His Excellency said that 11 percent of the state budget, QR 21 billion riyals is the budget for the health sector during the current year, pointing to a set of laws attached to the health insurance law that will be implemented as soon as possible, in order to benefit from the medical services provided by private hospitals. He stressed that the state's commitment is still to provide the best health service to the citizen in government hospitals, which will relieve pressure in the first stage, and to provide treatment to the citizens abroad when it is needed. The level of health services will improve with time, His Excellency asserted.
His Excellency went on to say that some countries took five, seven or eight years to implement health insurance systems, pointing out that the health insurance dealing with citizens is different from the state's dealing with health insurance, and this requires a health structure that can accommodate this system. The government is working to provide the best services through its hospitals to its citizens, and the difference will appear when health insurance system is fully implemented, because it will relieve the great deal of the current pressure on the hospitals, His Excellency said stressing that the health system in Qatar is world class.. . and the Covid-19 pandemic was the biggest test for the health system in the State of Qatar. 

Commenting on the State of Qatar's international efforts in settling disputes worldwide and the expected results from the Qatari mediation efforts, His Excellency said that diplomacy and soft power are part of any small country's strategy to protect and defend its security, highlighting the Qatari mediation and great success in many regional and international issues such its efforts to settle the Chad dispute and the agreement between the US and Afghanistan's Taliban. 
The second point was the efforts of the State of Qatar in international development, as all countries of the world have international commitments towards the development of other countries, and the development of the least developed countries, His Excellency said, highlighting that the commitments directed to the least developed countries represent 1.5 percent of the gross domestic product. 
His Excellency explained that the State of Qatar fulfills its commitments, whether in the education, relief or health sectors. The Education Above All Foundation and the Educate A Child program  contributed to the education of nearly 10 million children around the world; this shows what Qatar can achieve and how it can contribute to achieving change, His Excellency said. 
His Excellency stressed that the relief programs undertaken by the State of Qatar work to improve people's lives. The tent that the State of Qatar provides is a shelter for an entire homeless family. The people of Qatar are good, and they want their government to be good as well, His Excellency said, adding that what the State of Qatar is doing goes in accordance with the Islamic teachings that good deeds repel the catastrophes.
These Qatari contributions protect and earn it a large popular base in the region, His Excellency said, stressing that all Qataris, not only the government, are proud of their homeland and its Arab and Islamic affiliations. Qatar is interested in the issues of the homeland, the region and religion, and it will continue to defend them; this is the State of Qatar's deep-rooted policy, His Excellency said. 
Regarding the Qatari role in reducing escalation in the occupied Palestinian territories, His Excellency said that the State of Qatar has recently sought to stop escalation and Israel's unaccepted measures during the holy month of Ramadan. There are several factors that make the events that took place this year a dangerous warning sign of imposing a new reality to change the historic status of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, His Excellency said, warning of Arab and Islamic countries' silence about these unacceptable measures. The Palestinian cause would have no value if the Al-Aqsa Mosque was lost, His Excellency said. 
The peaceful worshipers have been attacked and assaulted with guns in brutal and barbaric behavior, His Excellency noted, slamming the world's double-standard policy. If this happened elsewhere,  the reaction would surely be different, His Excellency said. Supporting Palestinian brothers and their steadfastness tops Qatar's foreign policy priorities, and their resistance is a defense of a cause that concerns all Arabs and Muslims, not only the Palestinians, His Excellency noted.
His Excellency dismissed speculations of the normalization with the Syrian regime and its return to the Arab League. 
Nothing like this is on the table now; these speculations are only in the media, His Excellency said, explaining the State of Qatar's clear position in many forums that there were reasons to suspend Syria’s Arab League membership and to boycott the Syrian regime at that time, and that these reasons still exist, at least for the State of Qatar. It is true that the war has stopped, but the Syrian people are still displaced and there are innocent people in prison, His Excellency said. 
Qatar does not want to impose solutions on the Syrian people; the Syrian people must reach a political solution to the crisis, His Excellency said, adding that the State of Qatar decided not to take any step without a political solution to the Syrian crisis. Other countries have their own assessment and sovereign decisions, but the State of Qatar adheres to its position, and what is currently taking place is a speculation, His Excellency said. 
His Excellency voiced hopes that a political solution to the crisis would be reached, stressing that this solution is in the hands of the Syrian people and not in the hands of the State of Qatar. (QNA)