+ A
A -
The Ambassador of Belgium to the State of Qatar HE Bart De Groof, has lauded the speech of the Amir HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani at the opening of the 48th session of Shura Council recently, where HH the Amir said Qatar remains ready for dialogue to resolve differences between the GCC countries, on the basis of mutual respect.
The Belgian ambassador was addressing a gala dinner hosted by him as part of the celebrations of King’s Day.
“Qatar has continued to open its doors to the world, and has been a gracious host for a wide array of events. This was shown once again this year, with the hosting of many international fairs, conferences and meetings, culminating in the World Athletics Championships,” he said, adding, “It’s good to see that the upcoming Gulf Cup will see the participation of all GCC countries.”
The envoy added: “Like Belgium, Qatar remains a place for mediation and dialogue.”
Talking about his country’s King’s Day, he said, “It’s the day when we celebrate our country as a constitutional, parliamentary monarchy, and our King Philippe as the Head of State. The monarchy is the symbol of our unity -- a country with three national languages, a home for people from all over the world.”
Talking about Belgium-Qatar bilateral relations, he said that the ties between the two countries have continued to be excellent. “At the political level, we look forward to our next bilateral consultations. Likewise, Qatar and Belgium remain strong partners in the fight against terrorism.”
The Belgian envoy said that after HH the Amir’s visit to Belgium last year, several Belgian companies and trade delegations have visited Qatar in 2019. Some 30 Belgian companies are active in Qatar, he said, adding: “The highlight this year was the signing of an all-important contract between Qatar Petroleum and the LNG terminal at the Port of Zeebrugge, operated by our gold sponsor Fluxys. Qatar will use the full capacity of the terminal until the year 2044 at least. This is a confirmation of the crucial part Belgium is playing in the distribution of Qatari LNG, as the main gateway to Northwest Europe.”
He said the contract is an important policy statement on energy for both countries. “Qatar has embarked on a dynamic program of diversification of its markets, and Belgium is revising its energy generation mix, with gas playing an important role in the drive towards clean energy. With the present contract, Qatar and Belgium enter a win-win partnership.”
He said Belgian companies are playing a big role in Qatar’s development. “Our platinum sponsor Medco is responsible for the shaping and deepening of the access canals to the ports, making it possible for larger vessels to call on Hamad Port, and for cruise ships to use the terminal in Doha Port. On the other hand, they are laying the foundations for the growth and expansion of Doha by reclaiming land from the sea, on which to build new developments, such as The Pearl,” he said.
“Our other gold sponsor MIC Construct, has been involved in many construction projects that make up the Doha skyline. These companies are a tribute to the great Belgian expertise in these technical sectors, and it is an honor for Belgium to be a part of these Qatari projects. The same goes for every one of our 700 or so Belgian citizens, who are very much part of the Qatari story -- in sports, science and development, in the service industry and so forth.”
He added: “Our trade volume remains at a solid 300 million Euros, making Belgium among Qatar’s three biggest clients in Europe. A nice example of our strong ties is the recent sponsorship by Qatar Airways of the Belgian football team Eupen. While it does not have the same ambitions as PSG, the Eupen football team offers young Qatari players being trained at Aspire an opportunity to get a taste of European competition.”
The Belgian envoy also praised Qatar for the labour reforms, saying that only last week the EU has published a statement acknowledging the important labour reforms made by Qatar such as the abolishing of the exit permits and the no objection certificates (NOCs), and the draft legislation on minimum wages. “These reforms, a first in the region, have not gone unnoticed.”
He said Belgium remains a staunch supporter of the European Integration and the European ideals, and “we are proud that our Prime Minister has been chosen as the President of the European Council for the next term. We are also pleased that the European Union is interacting with Qatar more than ever before, through the cooperation agreement with the EEAS and the informal Human Rights Dialogue, the next round of which will be taking place in Brussels at the end of this month”.
The envoy thanked the sponsors of the grand evening celebrations including platinum sponsor Medco, gold sponsors Aamal, MIC Construct and Fluxys, silver sponsor BNP Paribas, bronze sponsors Salam International, Lulu supermarkets and VFS Global, and in kind sponsors Night Orient, Lutosa, Guylian and Galler.
The Belgian ambassador was addressing a gala dinner hosted by him as part of the celebrations of King’s Day.
“Qatar has continued to open its doors to the world, and has been a gracious host for a wide array of events. This was shown once again this year, with the hosting of many international fairs, conferences and meetings, culminating in the World Athletics Championships,” he said, adding, “It’s good to see that the upcoming Gulf Cup will see the participation of all GCC countries.”
The envoy added: “Like Belgium, Qatar remains a place for mediation and dialogue.”
Talking about his country’s King’s Day, he said, “It’s the day when we celebrate our country as a constitutional, parliamentary monarchy, and our King Philippe as the Head of State. The monarchy is the symbol of our unity -- a country with three national languages, a home for people from all over the world.”
Talking about Belgium-Qatar bilateral relations, he said that the ties between the two countries have continued to be excellent. “At the political level, we look forward to our next bilateral consultations. Likewise, Qatar and Belgium remain strong partners in the fight against terrorism.”
The Belgian envoy said that after HH the Amir’s visit to Belgium last year, several Belgian companies and trade delegations have visited Qatar in 2019. Some 30 Belgian companies are active in Qatar, he said, adding: “The highlight this year was the signing of an all-important contract between Qatar Petroleum and the LNG terminal at the Port of Zeebrugge, operated by our gold sponsor Fluxys. Qatar will use the full capacity of the terminal until the year 2044 at least. This is a confirmation of the crucial part Belgium is playing in the distribution of Qatari LNG, as the main gateway to Northwest Europe.”
He said the contract is an important policy statement on energy for both countries. “Qatar has embarked on a dynamic program of diversification of its markets, and Belgium is revising its energy generation mix, with gas playing an important role in the drive towards clean energy. With the present contract, Qatar and Belgium enter a win-win partnership.”
He said Belgian companies are playing a big role in Qatar’s development. “Our platinum sponsor Medco is responsible for the shaping and deepening of the access canals to the ports, making it possible for larger vessels to call on Hamad Port, and for cruise ships to use the terminal in Doha Port. On the other hand, they are laying the foundations for the growth and expansion of Doha by reclaiming land from the sea, on which to build new developments, such as The Pearl,” he said.
“Our other gold sponsor MIC Construct, has been involved in many construction projects that make up the Doha skyline. These companies are a tribute to the great Belgian expertise in these technical sectors, and it is an honor for Belgium to be a part of these Qatari projects. The same goes for every one of our 700 or so Belgian citizens, who are very much part of the Qatari story -- in sports, science and development, in the service industry and so forth.”
He added: “Our trade volume remains at a solid 300 million Euros, making Belgium among Qatar’s three biggest clients in Europe. A nice example of our strong ties is the recent sponsorship by Qatar Airways of the Belgian football team Eupen. While it does not have the same ambitions as PSG, the Eupen football team offers young Qatari players being trained at Aspire an opportunity to get a taste of European competition.”
The Belgian envoy also praised Qatar for the labour reforms, saying that only last week the EU has published a statement acknowledging the important labour reforms made by Qatar such as the abolishing of the exit permits and the no objection certificates (NOCs), and the draft legislation on minimum wages. “These reforms, a first in the region, have not gone unnoticed.”
He said Belgium remains a staunch supporter of the European Integration and the European ideals, and “we are proud that our Prime Minister has been chosen as the President of the European Council for the next term. We are also pleased that the European Union is interacting with Qatar more than ever before, through the cooperation agreement with the EEAS and the informal Human Rights Dialogue, the next round of which will be taking place in Brussels at the end of this month”.
The envoy thanked the sponsors of the grand evening celebrations including platinum sponsor Medco, gold sponsors Aamal, MIC Construct and Fluxys, silver sponsor BNP Paribas, bronze sponsors Salam International, Lulu supermarkets and VFS Global, and in kind sponsors Night Orient, Lutosa, Guylian and Galler.
