Qatar urges stronger efforts to secure Gulf maritime routes
Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani says “efforts must be doubled to secure navigation in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz and to protect energy facilities and civilian infrastructure”.
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In his address at the Shura Council’s annual session, Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani urged increased action to safeguard regional shipping lanes and critical supply networks.
Stressing the importance of protecting maritime security and regional stability, the emir said, “Efforts must be doubled to secure navigation in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz and to protect energy facilities and civilian infrastructure.”
The emir highlighted how the attacks on LNG facilities had effectively hurt Qatar’s capacity and had hurt the country’s economy directly. He also warned that “we should not be like we were before this crisis going forward”.
It was certainly a signal that would be taken seriously by those in this chamber and by the people heading up institutions. The national budget going forward will have been affected by the events of the past year. If you read between the lines and take what he said at face value, the signal is clear – Qatar will lean into non-carbon-related industries.
He talked about hospitality, real estate, and continuing to expand the private sector and other commercial interests, as well as trying to expand agriculture, and develop local stability and food security.
It was clear from his speech that he recognises that the war that has been brought to the doorstep of Arab countries has certainly impacted Qatar economically.
He called for caution going forward in terms of how the national budget is spent, while also striking an optimistic tone and making it clear that he has a great deal of faith in Qatar’s resilience.
“This is the first time we are having an opening session of the Shura Council since the war on Iran began, and the emir made several comments with regard to the state of Qatar’s economy and stability.”
But what he said was quite prescient: Qatar was subjected to an attack by Iran, a blatant violation of sovereignty and good neighbourliness.
He said, despite the ongoing war, our duty is to remind ourselves, our security apparatus makes it possible to remain steadfast, to be prepared, and to be able to overcome the crises, expressing thanks to Qatar’s security and military forces.
He said we remain committed to negotiation, but not at the expense of our security. So, we will continue to maintain the line that Qatar has maintained all along in its foreign policy – that we will prioritise our security, but we will maintain the ability and willingness to negotiate with all parties involved.
He said diplomacy is always preferred to conflict and will remain so, but he said that these ongoing attacks on the GCC show that this ongoing aggression remains a problem. And the GCC countries must work together to combat it.
That policy of an attack on one GCC country is an attack on all, expressing that sentiment once again.
In his address, Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani outlined the core pillars guiding the nation’s security and foreign policy during times of regional tension.
Highlighting the country’s national strategy, the emir said, “Our strategy consisted of four fundamental elements, the first of which is defending the homeland firmly without being dragged into war.”
While reiterating Qatar’s dedication to diplomacy, the emir made clear that the nation’s commitment to peace should not be mistaken for weakness, emphasising: “Our adherence to dialogue and peaceful solutions does not mean leniency in defending our country.”
Addressing wider Middle Eastern and East African security, the emir reaffirmed Qatar’s active diplomatic engagement, saying, “We reaffirm our steadfast positions to find solutions to the crises in the region in Sudan, Libya, Yemen, and Somalia.”
Source: Al Jazeera