The Emir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani taking part in National Day celebrations held at Al Wajbah Fort yesterday. RIGHT: H H Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Personal Representative of the Emir, and H H Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Special Adviser of the Emir, with other dignitaries at the celebrations.
Doha: Qatar’s missions overseas celebrated the National Day by hosting receptions on the eve of the great day yesterday.
Alia Ahmed bin Seif Al Thani, Qatar’s permanent representative to the UN in Geneva hosted a reception in Geneva and said that Qatar has witnessed a turning point in national, political and economic advancement since the Emir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani took power.
She cited as landmarks in Qatar’s recent history the adoption of a permanent constitution, expanding the base of popular participation in decision- making and deepening the principles of liberty and basic freedoms and human rights. The National Vision 2030 is the country’s future roadmap, she said.
Qatar’s Ambassador to the United States Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Rumaihi hosted a reception in Washington which was attended by a number of US officials, Congressmen and dignitaries, led by Democratic Senator John Kerry, who is also the Chairman of the Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Dan Burton, minority leader in the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee in the House of Representatives, Darrell Issa, Democratic Representative Cyril Maloney, Republican Representative Michael Grimm and Deputy Chief of Staff of the US Air Force Lt Gen Frank Gorenc.
It was also attended by Deputy Undersecretary of the Air Force for International Affairs Heidi H Grant, Washington Mayor Vincent Gray, Rev Jesse Jackson and former presidential candidate Ralph Nader, in addition to many diplomats, military figures and businessmen.
Qatar’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom Khalid bin Rashid Al Hamoudi Al Mansouri held a reception at Hotel Claridge’s in London to mark Qatar National Day.
The function was attended by Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries Ed Vaizey, as well as a number of senior UK officials, and members of the House of Commons and the House of Lords.
Meanwhile, Qatar’s Ambassador to the Bavarian Republic of Venezuela Batal Mojab Al Dossari yesterday hosted a reception on the occasion of Qatar National Day. The function was attended by Palestinian Foreign Minister Riadh Al Maliki, a representative for the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry, Director of the Protocols Department, the official in charge of Qatar’s file at the Middle East and Asia Department, ambassadors accredited to the Bavarian Republic of Venezuela, as well as a number of businessmen and media men.
Around 20 children from the school of the Venezuelan foreign ministry staff also attended the reception.
Qatar’s Ambassador to the Arab Republic of Egypt and its Permanent Representative to the Arab League Saif bin Muqaddam Al Buainain hosted a yesterday which was attended by a number the Egyptian government officials, including Minister of Housing and Urban Communities Dr Tarek Wafik Mohamed, Minister of State for Sport Affairs Amri Farouk and Minister of Manpower and Immigration Khaled Mahmoud Al Azhari, as well as the Secretary General of the League of Arab States Dr Nabil Al Arabi and Arab League Deputy Secretary General Ambassador Ahmed Ben Helli.
The reception was also attended by Governor of Cairo Osama Ahmed Kamal, Governor of Kafr El Sheikh Eng Saad Ismat Al Husseini, assistant ministers in the Egyptian government, senior officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Arab and foreign ambassadors accredited to the Arab Republic of Egypt.
The Embassy of Qatar in Poland joined in the celebrations by hosting a reception at the Sheraton Hotel in Warsaw, which was attended by a large number of leaders of the Polish state, headed by Uige Vnederlikh, the Deputy Speaker and Marek Russky, the Deputy Senate President and Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee and Kishishtov Kraevski, the Director of the diplomatic protocol at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Katagina Subiresca, the Deputy Minister of Tourism and Sports and Irina Chivenska , the Vice President the Olympic Committee who is also a member of the international Olympic Committee (IOC).
Representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited in Poland, together with academics and representatives of the sports community and an elite of businessmen, journalists and community leaders of Muslim organisations of Poles and Arab expatriates.
Qatar’s Ambassador to the Republic of Poland Hadi Nasser Mansour Al Hajri delivered a speech and congratulated the people of Qatar and their wise leadership represented by the Emir.
The Embassy in Belgium too joined the celebrations yesterday.
The function was attended by a number of Belgian officials and politicians, as well as cultural, economic and scientific figures and EU officials in addition to members of the diplomatic corps and members of the Arab community. QNA
