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QNA
Doha
Qatar has become a favourite destination for Italians due to the development activities in the country which provide job opportunities, as well as due to the good reputation enjoyed by Qatar that encourages foreigners to work in the country, HE De Sanctis, Ambassador of Italy to Qatar, has said.
He was speaking on Italian-Qatari relations at an event hosted by the Diplomatic Institute of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in the presence of a large number of diplomats and officials of the Ministry.
The ambassador underlined the historical ties between the countries, which began in the early seventies of the last century when Italy voted in favour of Qatar's accession to the United Nations. The relationship continued through constant communication with the Italian embassy in Kuwait until the official opening of the Italian embassy in Qatar in 1992.
Guido De Sanctis said he has been working in Qatar for three years, and at the end of this year he will return to Rome after 25 years in diplomatic work within Italy and abroad.
The ambassador said that there are about 4 million Italian living abroad, pointing to the presence of Italians in GCC countries in general and Qatar in particular, where there are about 2,100 Italians.
"Italy's relationship with Qatar is extensive in multiple fields. The most important development in the ties in economic side is the opening of an Italian trade office in Qatar for the development of small and medium-sized enterprises," he said.
Qatar is experiencing an industrial transformation period as it seeks through its national vision for economic diversification, the ambassador said, stressing Italy's willingness to support transformation of Qatar's economy.
On the cooperation in the military field, Guido De Sanctis praised the defence agreement signed between the two countries in 2010. The future of this relationship is bright as Italy joined the countries'list that supply Qatar with military equipment. He also referred to the negotiations between the two countries on providing the Qatari Navy with a number of warships.
The envoy also praised Qatar's interest in sports, while referring to the relations between the two countries in the field of sports.
Italy produces only 10 percent of the energy it needs, and it depends on other countries for its energy requirement. Qatar is the most important among them, the ambassador said.
Qatar is moving forward in the field of renewable energy with projects such as innovation of solar boards that can withstand extensive heat. Italy is looking to take advantage of Qatar's experience in this arena, he added.
