Rashid Al Dehaimi (fourth left), Deputy Director of Asian Affairs at Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and Dato’ Ahmad Fadil bin Shamsuddin (fifth left), Ambassador of Malaysia to Qatar; along with Ambassadors and Charges d’Affaires of embassies of oth
DOHA: Embassies of Asean member countries in Qatar look forward to further strengthening partnership and increasing bilateral investments with Qatar, Malaysian Ambassador to Qatar H E Dato’ Ahmad Fadil bin Shamsuddin has said.
Speaking at the celebration of the 51st Anniversary of Asean yesterday at Sheraton Doha with Malaysia the current chairman of Asean Committee in Doha (ACD), Ambassador Fadil said, “The Asean Embassies accredited in Doha namely Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam look forward to increase bilateral investments of Southeast Asia and Qatar.”
The envoy said the distance that separates Asean and GCC “has been narrowed down by developments of investment opportunities through high level visits between the two regions.” In particular, he highlighted the importance of recent and future visits by Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to Southeast Asia in bolstering partnership between Qatar and Asean.
“The state visits of H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Amir of Qatar to Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore last year and the upcoming scheduled visits this year to the Philippines and Vietnam will further enhance the plenty of opportunities for the development of partnership,” he said.
Fadil believes the meeting in March between ACD ambassadors and Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani and the upcoming meetings with Qatari Ministers will provide more opportunities for further engagement between Qatar and the Asean member states.
He said Asean’s official partnership with Qatar is through the GCC while hailing Qatar’s significant role in enhancing cooperation between Asean and GCC.
“Qatar plays an important role in connecting these two regions through its engagement in fostering synergies between Asean and GCC and we look forward to the convening of the fourth Asean-GCC Ministerial Meeting at the end of the year,” he said. “I believe that Asean and the GCC, in particular Qatar, stand to gain from each other’s prosperity. Both groupings should now start a dialogue aiming to find an adequate balance between our interests,” he added.
Rashid Al Dehaimi, Deputy Director of Asian Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was guest of honour at the Asean Day celebration which was attended by ambassadors and officials of Asean member countries in Qatar.
Asean was established on August 8, 1967 with the main aim of maintaining peace, security, stability and prosperity in the region. It is now the seventh largest market in the world and is projected to become the world’s fourth largest market by 2030.
Year 2015 saw the successful establishment of the Asean Community as well as the Asean 2025, a document which charts the path for Asean Community building ensuring political stability and economic progression whilst elevating the social welfare of over 630 million people in the region.
Singapore assumed this year’s chairmanship under the theme “Resilient and Innovative Asean” which encapsulates the vision for Asean to be united amidst growing uncertainties in the global strategic landscape.
