Fuente: © European Parliament
http://www.europarl.eu.int/

EU: Formal address by the Emir of the State of Qatar

/noticias.info/ In his speech to the House, Sheik Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar, began by describing the European Parliament as an institution supporting "the most successful regional integration in the whole world" saying it "represents a beacon of inspiration for many other areas in the world".

Turning to his own country's current programme for moving towards democracy, he said this reflected "obligatory practice of the Al-Shoura principle, which is acknowledged in Islam as a basic rule". Islam, he went on, "does not only urge its people to participate in public affairs, but it also admonishes them to respect minorities and to protect their rights, constantly reminding them to be acquainted with other world cultures and to interact with them as well in a give-and-take relationship".

The Emir called for dialogue between religions and urged "all reasonable, wise and honest people, both in the East and the West, to stand up together to block the cries for division and intolerance which threaten peace and respect for religions and holy places."

Turning to Middle East affairs, he argued that the geographical proximity of this region to Europe "makes it in the undoubted interest of Europe to support comprehensive reform in the countries of the Middle-East".

Immigration had become a huge challenge but this too was partly due to a lack of reform. "The majority of those who are looking for freedom and a decent life outside their countries will no longer emigrate when they find in their own countries what they aspire to", he argued.

A lack of democracy and the failure to reach a just solution for the Palestinian cause "has produced various forms of violence, which some people consider as terrorism" without differentiating between one form or another. "We are very keen to differentiate between the unjustified frightening of innocent people" and "the legitimate right to resist occupation according to international laws and customs", he stressed.

A just solution to the Palestinian question should be based on the implementation of all international resolutions by both the Israeli and Palestinian side. The Emir emphasised that "the Palestinian government, constituted by the Hamas Movement in accordance with the free will of the Palestinian people in the previous months, should have been given the opportunity to work for the people who have elected it". Yet, "Instead of rewarding the Palestinian people for practising democracy, something rarely witnessed in our region, they have been punished for it" by the international embargo. "Is this not a double standard: to demand free elections, and then object to the results?" he asked.

Turning to other countries in the region, the Emir expressed the hope that, following "the recent destructive war by Israel against Lebanon", Lebanon will become able to exercise its sovereignty on all its land. As to Iraq, he hoped it would "keep its sovereignty and unity of its territories, and that the Iraqi people will recover their security and freedom".

Stability in the Middle East also requires continued efforts to reach a peaceful solution to the question of the Iranian nuclear programme. On this point, he said, "we repeat our call to make the Middle East a region free of nuclear weapons and to oblige Israel to sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty".

Lastly, the Emir spoke of "the strength of cooperation relations between the European Union and Qatar specifically and the Cooperation Council of the Arab Gulf States in general". He looked forward to closer cultural, political and economic ties between Qatar and the European Union. notas_de_prensa_archivo