Dr. Majed Al Ansari said that the issue of mediation and resolving disputes by peaceful means comes at the heart of Qatar's international influential roles, especially since it comes within Qatar's foreign policy constants.
He added that the mediation role played by Qatar is not a marginal issue in its foreign policy but rather a principle stipulated in its permanent constitution to consolidate international peace and security by promoting the peaceful resolution of international disputes.
He indicated that out of that role, Qatari diplomacy engaged during the past few years in several successful mediations, including putting an end to the presidential vacuum in Lebanon in 2008, signing the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD), mediating between Eritrea and Djibouti, the release of hostages in Syria, in addition to working to achieve reconciliation between the Palestinians.
In the same context, a peace agreement was achieved between the United States and Taliban, which required a tremendous effort and ended the longest war in the history of the USA and the suffering of the Afghan people that lasted for more than 20 years. In addition, Qatar hosted the intra-Afghan negotiations, the indirect talks between the US and Iran regarding the nuclear deal, and the signing of Chadian parties on the Doha Peace Agreement. Qatar's latest mediation efforts was between the US and Tehran to release some prisoners and open a humanitarian channel in the same agreement.
Dr. Al Ansari stressed that Qatar's success in mediation is a direct result of the wise leadership's interest in the success of any negotiations and also of the political will in Qatar that makes sure to have a clear role regarding resolving conflicts and peaceful solutions.
He noted that Qatar's success in that regard is because Qatar always stands at the same distance from all parts, which is not seen as passive neutrality, as within the framework of mediation, Qatar always plays roles beyond being a traditional mediator through developing conflicting zones and engaging in investment, economy, promoting international consensus on the solution, and providing the appropriate environment for the future success of the mediation, as these are the strength points of the Qatari mediation.
In that regard, he pointed out that aid and governmental or non-governmental humanitarian work in Qatar stems from the profound belief of Qatar's people and leadership in Islam and the centrality of such issue in it, which is a human value to help those in need.
He stressed that the aid and humanitarian work in Qatar constitutes a part of the international commitments within the framework of multilateral international action and stems from Qatar's National Vision, which clearly reflects the significance of the values of solidarity in helping the countries, peoples, and communities that suffer human crises, conflicts, and poverty.
As well known, Qatar never links its foreign aid with political or economic interests as Qatar always provides the aid based on those countries' needs first and on the added value or the anticipated impact of the aid in the conflict zones, he said.
He added that from this standpoint, the numbers show that Qatar's aid is always directed to health and education sectors, as the Education Above All Foundation (EAA) provided education for more than 10 million children in conflict zones. In addition, Qatar-based organizations like Silatech play a significant role in bringing hope to the people in conflict zones by providing job opportunities for those in need and linking employers and individuals. Furthermore, the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) directs Qatar's aid according to those strategic goals related to education, health, and relief, as well as matches Qatar's role that exceeds its region in terms of aid.
He pointed out that the State of Qatar has built massive capabilities in the field of direct relief through the Qatari International Search and Rescue Group, which played a significant role in the humanitarian crises and natural disasters that occurred in recent years, for example, in Beirut, in addition to assisting in the rescue operations after the earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria, which indicates that Qatar's constant assistance is not linked to a specific political agenda rather than the humanitarian help provided in the right time and place. (MORE)
Source: Qatar News Agency