|
 |
 |
In the Name of God,
The Most Compassionate, The Most Merciful
It is a pleasure on this occasion, to express my sincere appreciation and pride
of your esteemed Council. Undoubtedly, the achievements' drive that we live
today, needs your sincere effort and fruitful collaboration with the Government,
to build together the generations' future, and accomplish the comprehensive
development of our homeland, to reach the purpose that we pursue , which is the
happiness of the Qatari citizen and the assumption of Qatar the status that it
deserves among the states and peoples in our contemporary world.
Dear Brothers,
In my address to you last year I referred to the national vision of the State,
for the next twenty years, and its significance in drawing up our policies for
the various aspects of life on the land of Qatar. Today your new session begins,
after the completion of a large part of the planned transitional targets, in which
we have added a lot to what we accomplished in the last years.
In this context, we have started to take a number of steps regarding of the
administrative organization of the State organs, foremost among these are: the
restructuring of the State authorities, as a part of a comprehensive appraisal
process of the organizational and institutional structure of the government apparatus.
That process, which encompassed the ministries, authorities, institutions, and other
governmental organs, had aimed at upgrading the performance efficiency of these bodies,
to avoid duplication and reduce cost, without any negative effect on the quality
performance of activities and services, or on the speed of executing them and achieving
the optimal utilization of financial and human resources.
The Qatari citizen has always been our top priority, to prepare him qualify and secure
a decent livelihood for him, out of our belief that the achievement of a comprehensive
and sustainable development is basically attainable through the investment in human
development and upgrading the abilities of man assigned to implement and manage the
various aspects of comprehensive development.
That has been manifested in a number of procedures taken by us, for the benefit of
the citizen in various aspects of life, namely: the establishment of the Supreme Council
of Health, to provide the best level of health care, and to provide health services at
a level similar to that in developed countries. Also the Supreme Education Council and
the Supreme Council for Family Affairs have been reorganized, to develop education and
upgrade its level, to fulfill the needs of the State for outstanding and competent human
resources in various spheres, and to pursue strengthening the family status and its
role in society and to support it and its members, and maintain a strong, integrated
and coherent family that takes good care of its off-spring, and adhere to the ethical
and religious values as well as the high ideals.
Also the current stage of the development of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science,
and Community Development, is witnessing an emphasis on the post-graduate programs and
scientific researches that are linked with the national scientific research strategy
and the priorities of these researches, where this strategy has started with the
initiation of bio-medical researches, design art, and engineering science programs.
The Foundation has introduced an ambitious program through cooperation with Arab
scientists abroad to establish qualitative Qatari institutes for researches
in biomedical science, information technology & communication as well as energy
and environment.
Brothers, Members of the Advisory Council,
As you know, the sustainable development, promotion of our national economy and
diversifying its sources, come always on top of our priorities; in this respect,
the State has carried on in broadening and diversifying its global investments,
through concluding strategic partnerships and commercial investments with a number
of countries in the field of petrochemicals, natural gas, energy, refineries, and
liquefied natural gas terminals.
And after almost two decades of a persistent , intensive effort of producing and
developing our gas reserves, Qatar has become, by the grace of Allah, a leading
country in gas industry, and the leading LNG exporter and transporter.
These efforts have recently culminated in the inauguration of the Adriatic LNG
terminal, which is truly deemed as a distinguished and leading project in the
field of energy. The project is rated as the first of its kind world-wide, as
a quantum leap in the inception of LNG terminals. It was preceded by the inauguration
of QatarGas train-2 project, which is the first wholly integrated project world-wide.
The liquefied natural gas was exported to Britain through "South Hook" LNG terminal.
We have also opened RasGas train-6 recently, which is one of our leading strategic
projects. It is the largest production train world-wide in terms of LNG production
capacity.
I wish to emphasize that we aren’t only keen to maintain the gains that we accomplished
over the last years, but we are also pursuing building on what we had achieved, because
development and modernization is a continuing and integrated process, within the
framework of the sustainable development, which has become limitless in the course
of the scientific and human progress.
Honourable Brothers,
The global financial crisis, is still taking its toll on all economic fields, especially
in developing countries. Although this crisis had originated in the developed countries,
its effects spilled over from developed countries to encompass the whole world.
In my speech to you last year, I called for restructuring the world financial order and
subjecting it to new regulatory procedures that take developing countries' interests
into account. And I think that there is a lot to be done by the world countries,
especially the developed countries, and to draw lessons from the extent and consequences
of this unprecedented crisis on the world at large. The major historical events in the
history of the world economy should not be allowed to slip away without learning useful
lessons, and taking appropriate measures to avert the recurrence of such crisis in the
future.
In fact, like the rest of the world countries, we were vulnerable to the negative
effects of that crisis. We found that it is incumbent on us to push forward with
the implementation of our defined programs, according to the prior plans, and continue
to achieve the aspired development rates. Towards that end we have adopted numerous
measures and arrangements, to limit the negative effects of the crisis on us.
Hence, we have been forthcoming in providing financial governmental support to our
financial institutions, in terms of increasing their capital, buying out their
investment portfolios in real estate and local companies’ shares, which enabled these
institutions to secure necessary liquidity to support local economic activity, and
reassure local money markets and dealers about the ability of our economy to recover
from this crisis.
We were also keen on directing our investment towards more diversity and stability,
and to take advantage of the promising investment prospects locally and globally,
to shore up these investments, which would reflect positively on the non-petroleum
revenues of the State in the future.
Thank God that the measures we had taken, did contribute effectively in restraining
the negative impacts of the global financial crisis on our economic and development
plans, and that was reflected by some important indicators, namely:
First:
Albeit of the world financial institutions’ expectation of a slump in the growth
rates of the majority of world countries, the developed and developing alike,
Qatar’s economic rate of growth in the current fiscal year, would approximately be 9
percent, while the growth rate in the next fiscal year is estimated to be approximately
16 percent. These rates are high comparing to world growth rates. This is indicative of
the extent of success of the State of Qatar in dealing with the global economic crisis,
by means of the effective utilization of fiscal and monetary policy tools.
Second:
The continuation and growth of economic activity in the state of Qatar has assisted,
to a greater degree, in overcoming the fallout of the economic crisis, by maintaining
employment levels, restoring the equilibrium to the real estate sector, which was one
of the causes of inflation in the previous phase. The stability of the economic
performance of the State, and the continuation of price control in the market by
the government, have positively contributed to stabilizing prices, and eventually
maintaining the living standards of the community.
Third:
The continuation with funding and executing the current general budget and maintaining
the level of public expenditure in all social, educational and health sectors as well
as implementing all giant programs in the field of oil, gas, infrastructure and
investment, in line with the keenness to keep supply and demand in equilibrium,
to avert recurrence of the inflation phenomena.
Despite these positive indicators, I would like to assert that, the solid economic
and financial standing of the state of Qatar, should not make us forget the importance
of efficiency in utilizing our financial resources, continuation of work to rationalize
costs, increasing revenues, and moving forward towards achieving long- term economic
investments, locally and globally, being the basic pillar to pursue the sustainable
development for our county.
Brothers, Members of the Council,
Concerning our foreign policy, it always aims at deepening the bonds and cooperation
with all countries and peoples, on the basis of peaceful co-existence principles,
mutual respect and promotion of joint interests, as well as the effective participation
in the causes and concerns of our Arab and Islamic nations, out of the dedication to
our Gulf, Arab and Islamic belonging.
And as we look forward to the forthcoming summit meeting of the leaders of the GCC
countries in Kuwait, we are confident that the patronage of the summit by our brother
H.H. Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jabir Al-Sabah, would contribute to its success, to
yield results that would consolidate the drive of the Council and achieve integration
among its countries.
We also, as we are keen to strengthen Arab solidarity, develop joint Arab action,
we spare no effort in dealing seriously with the challenges encountering our Arab
nation.
During its chairmanship of the Arab summit, the State of Qatar has acted to unify
Arab ranks, to reach a common vision for many fundamental issues lingering on the
Arab arena that may obstruct the course of joint Arab action.
Honourable Brothers,
Our Gulf area, which assumes a vital importance for the world at large, and which
witnessed many conflicts during the last two decades that yielded negative impacts
on its security and stability, is deeply in need of building the relations among
its countries, on a basis of good neighborliness, mutual respect non-interference
in internal affairs, and the necessity of collective action to make the Middle East
region free from the weapons of mass destruction, which has become a nagging security
concern for the countries of the region.
As we are exerting our utmost effort to promote security and stability in our region,
and act to create the suitable conditions for positive cooperation among its countries,
we emphasize the necessity for cooperation to resolve the disputes among the countries
of the region by peaceful means, through dialogue, mediation, conciliation and recourse
to the international justice as a last resort, when necessary, so as to strengthen the
stability and cooperation in our region.
As for the developments of the Palestinian issue, Doha emergency Summit on the Israeli
aggression on Gaza has condemned the continuation of hostile practices against the
Palestinian people and called on the Arab nation and all peace loving forces in the
world to act to stop this criminal aggression. We demanded the international community
to act to stop those recurring aggressions, and lift the unjust siege on the Palestinian
people, reeling under tragic living and humanitarian conditions, after being usurped of
his land and home country.
We also remind all world countries, including those who met after the war in Sherm Al
Sheikh that the siege is still there and the rebuilding is still ink on paper, and
this siege should not continue because it is neither permitted by international
legality nor the religious laws.
The State of Qatar has always been stressing its support for the legitimate struggle
of the Palestinian people to regain its national rights, and establish its independent
state, with Al Quds Al-Sharif (Jerusalem) as its capital. The State of Qatar also, has
always emphasized from an Arab, Islamic and humanitarian grounds that peace is not
possible without doing justice to the Palestinian people.
And as we stress our support for the national unity of the Palestinian people and
creating the relevant conditions for that, through joint dialogue among the Palestinian
forces and factions, we call for the non-interference in this internal Palestinian
affair to tip the balance in favor of one party vis-a-vis the other, because that would
aggravate the dispute and render it intractable.
The non-recognition of many countries of the democratic elections results in Palestine
and punishing its people with siege discredited many countries when they talk of
democracy and election under occupation and blockade.
We also express our deep concern over the serious developments in occupied Jerusalem
and our strong denunciation of Judaization through land confiscations, home demolition
and harassment of Arab residents in the city, as well as the continuous Israeli acts
of aggression on the Aqsa Mosque and Islamic sanctities.
We warn that these practices are not only inhuman, but it is an embodiment of
dangerous political agenda to consecrate the annexation and Judaizing Jerusalem.
We call for taking a unified Arab and Islamic stance to put an end to the Israeli
aggression on Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Islamic sanctities.
Helplessness and complacency have become in this field reprehensible and unjustified.
The Arab nation leaders and peoples could do a lot if there is a will. We also call
on the international community to assume its responsibilities in this regard.
On the other hand, we are following with concern the security developments in the
brotherly Iraq, which caused massive loss in lives and properties and destabilized
the efforts to restore security and stability. We call on major forces therein to work
together to reach conciliation, and to place the interest of Iraq over narrow sectarian
and regional interests, in consolidation of unity, Arabism , sovereignty and stability
of Iraq.
Once again the Arab countries couldn’t continue to complain from the others who are
active, while sitting idly without nudging an Arab stance and Arab strategy emanating
from a unified concept of Arab national security that includes Iraq.
Brothers, Members of the Advisory Council,
The unity and stability of the brotherly Yemen is a vital matter, not only for Yemen,
but for our region as well. While we emphasize our solid and historical stance which
we have proved in the past through our keenness on the stability, unity and territorial
integrity of Yemen, we call on all parties to cease fighting immediately, and to
facilitate the arrival of humanitarian assistance to the affected areas.
I am confident that the vision and wisdom of our brother president Ali Abdullah Salih,
would serve to provide the needed elements to solve this stand off, to spare the Yemeni
people further suffering and division.
As for Lebanon, we express our great satisfaction for the steps put in place to
implement Doha accord, which have taken root as a result of the commitment and
keenness of all Lebanese parties to abide by it. We call on all Lebanese parties to
give priority to the national interest, and act swiftly to form the national unity
government as soon as possible to contribute to the return of normalcy and strengthen
stability of this brotherly country.
Concerning the situation in the Sudan, while we express our satisfaction for its
commitment to cooperate with the international community to resolve the conflict
in Darfur region, we hope that all parties would respond to the Arab African initiative
that has made important inroads, and which the State of Qatar sponsors to solve that
crisis. We call on the international community to extend support and backing to this
initiative to reach a peaceful settlement for this conflict.
As we express great concern over the situation of instability in Somalia, we call on
the brothers for cessation of infighting, and participation of all the categories
and sectors of the Somali people in the efforts exerted to achieve a national
concordance and to agree on building its national unity.
All evidences indicate that all the issues encountered by the region turn into mere
details if the Arab situation is organized and arranged – the deterioration of the
current Arab situation is the key to understand the deterioration of different issues
which we face in Palestine, Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen, Somalia and other.
Dear Brothers, Members of the Advisory Council,
To conclude my speech to you today, I wish you all a successful legislative session,
in which you would add to your contribution in serving your home country.
May Peace and Mercy of Allah be upon you all.
Honorable Brothers,
Members of the Advisory Council,
