Former Qatari Foreign Minister: We are the treasury of the West, which is being opened in times of difficulty.
“It is as if we are the treasury of the West, which is opening a difficult time,” said the former Qatari foreign minister, referring to the traffic of Western officials traveling to the Arab Gulf states to consult on energy transfers to Europe following the Ukraine crisis.
Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani, Qatar’s former foreign minister and prime minister, addressed the energy crisis following the Russia-Ukraine war and European countries’ dire need for Middle Eastern oil.
The former Qatari foreign minister wrote on his Twitter account on Tuesday: “We know from our experience that the West is forgetting our countries; It does not interact with us on the basis of equality or common interests, and only remembers us when it is in dire need. It is as if our countries are a treasury that they open during difficult times. “They should know that we also have interests and that it should not be harmed, and that this should be done on the basis of mutual interests.”
Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani added: “Europeans are in dire need of energy resources now to strengthen their political and security positions. “We also need to sign this agreement quickly in order to realize the mutual benefits that are the basis of interaction between countries.”
Al-Thani continued: “They prefer their trade with our countries to be without a legal framework, as it is now. But having a free trade agreement with European countries greatly reduces the heavy burden of tariffs that these countries export on them, especially oil and related products. “If this is achieved, it will greatly help our country’s economy.”
“The West, and especially European countries, are in dire need of oil and energy, especially from our region and the GCC countries,” he said. Our countries have been trying to sign a free trade agreement with European countries for more than 30 years; “But this did not happen because of the procrastination and obstruction of the European side, which does not want to harm its interests.”
In this regard, the Emir of Qatar announced in a statement a few days ago that the Emir of the country, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, welcomed the German Minister of Economy, Robert Habek, in Doha and discussed with him ways to strengthen bilateral relations in all fields, in particular the field of energy has been discussed.
