Ladies and Gentlemen
Today, I am honored to welcome and thank you for your presence among us on the occasion of the National Day of the State of Qatar, the foundations of which were laid 144 years ago by Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani (May God rest his soul).
With all feelings of pride and dignity, the State of Qatar and its loyal citizens celebrate the National Day this year under the slogan "Our Unity is the Source of Our Strength", affirming the solidarity and cohesion of the Qatari people, generation after generation, in facing challenges and fulfilling outstanding achievements.
National strategies and development projects under the wise leadership of His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of the country (may God protect him), have fulfilled major achievements in human, economic, social and environmental development, which has made the State of Qatar a role model for comprehensive and sustainable development.
The celebration of the National Day this year is of special importance, as it coincides with the State of Qatar hosting the FIFA World Cup finals in an efficient, competent manner and with precise and elegant organization, which gave millions the opportunity to learn the truth about our Arab-Islamic history and culture and the extent of our belief in civilized interaction with other cultures.
The State of Qatar has been keen, through the World Cup, to deliver humanitarian and civilized messages calling for the promotion of peace and rapprochement among peoples of the world, at a time when the values of dialogue and tolerance are nearly non-existent and wars and crises dominate the world.
Qatar's message in the FIFA World Cup, which brought people together and unified feelings, clearly confirmed that the world can unite to face the major challenges that threaten all humanity.
The World Cup clearly reflected the civilizational and cultural identity of the State of Qatar, in addition to its economic, security and administrative capabilities, and its achievements in all fields. In this regard, we must express gratitude for all the support and praise for our success in organizing this global humanitarian event.
Ladies and Gentlemen
In this era that is witnessing many global political and economic changes, the State of Qatar continues to adopt a consistent policy in international cooperation, which has strengthened its position in international relations and authorized it to play an influential role according to a balanced policy that adopts transparency and accurate evaluation.
The foreign policy of the State of Qatar is committed to international law and the principles of peaceful coexistence, respect for human rights, pluralism and diversity, combating extremism and terrorism, and consolidating a culture of global peace and stability.
Qatari diplomacy is also active in its international relations with the role of care and mediation in resolving and settling many crises and disputes, as the State of Qatar has hosted many dialogues between conflicting parties amid several initiatives to promote dialogue between cultures, religions and peoples.
The State of Qatar continuously supports the humanitarian and relief initiatives of the United Nations, based on the conviction of the importance of cooperation between nations and peoples to face the challenges of disease, climate change, environment, education and poverty.
On the economic front, despite the negative impacts on the global economy, the Qatari economy was able to enhance confidence in its strength owing to the solid foundations and sound measures taken by the state in dealing with challenges.
Over the past years, Qatar has been able to achieve progress in economic diversification by completing a large number of important industrial and agricultural projects that have enhanced the fulfillment of the self-sufficiency strategy.
Ladies and Gentlemen
The Qatari/Portuguese relations are based on common cultural and human values and the foundations of friendship and mutual cooperation.
On this occasion, I avail myself of the opportunity to thank all the Portuguese friends who have contributed and are contributing to enriching and supporting the Qatari-Portuguese relations, which share noble principles and values adopted by the two friendly peoples for the good of all mankind.
Thank you