KIEV: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani said that His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani gave directives to announce a pledge of US$100mn for humanitarian assistance in Ukraine.
He pointed out that the funds would be directed to the rehabilitation of health and education infrastructure, provision of drinking water, and humanitarian services, in addition to allocating 50 scholarships, during the school year 2023-2024, to Ukrainian students in Qatari universities.
His Excellency said, in joint press remarks with the Prime Minister of Ukraine HE Denis Shmyhal in Kiev, that the State of Qatar took the initiative to provide this aid to mitigate the repercussions of the Russian-Ukrainian crisis, noting that Qatar had contributed US$20mn to support the Ukrainian grain export initiative.
The visit to Ukraine comes in critical global circumstances, with the continuation of the Russian-Ukrainian crisis, His Excellency said, pointing out that he had in-depth talks with the Ukrainian president on the political and humanitarian dimensions of the crises.
During the meeting, the position of the State of Qatar was reiterated on the importance of respecting the sovereignty and independence of Ukraine and its territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, His Excellency added underlining the need to adhere to the Charter of the United Nations and the established principles of international law, including the obligation to settle international disputes by peaceful means. His Excellency called for refraining from the threat or use of force and condemned that.
His Excellency added that the meeting with the prime minister of Ukraine provided an opportunity to discuss the repercussions of the worsening humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and to affirm Qatar's readiness to contribute to any international and regional effort to reach a peaceful and immediate solution to the crisis. It is certain that the only way to succeed in this endeavour is to keep all communication channels open, he stressed.
The prime minister and minister of foreign affairs asserted, in this context, that stopping the fighting and ensuring the protection of civilians is among the most important priorities of the State of Qatar, stressing that Qatar's positions are consistent regarding respect for international law and respect for the world order.
His Excellency said that resolving the Russian-Ukrainian crisis requires continuous and intensive cooperation, appreciating the regional, international and international efforts that would reduce escalation.
The prime minister of Ukraine said that the Qatari aid will be allocated to rebuilding medical care, education and demining, expressing Ukraine's thanks to the State of Qatar for allocating scholarships to Ukrainian students in its universities.
He said that the visit of the prime minister and minister of foreign affairs to Ukraine is important and means a lot to his country.
