The State of Qatar participated on Monday in a specialized workshop titled ‘China-Arab States Cooperation Forum (CASCF).. marking 20 years,’ organized by the Secretariat General of Arab League’s Media and Communication Sector (department of research and strategic studies), at the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the Arab League in Cairo, in collaboration with the tahreer center for studies and research.
HE Director of the Arab Affairs Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Nayef bin Abdullah Al Emadi represented the State of Qatar at the workshop.
In his opening speech, HE Nayef bin Abdullah Al Emadi highlighted the strengthened political relations between Arab countries collectively and the People’s Republic of China, amidst increasing international interest in Asia, with the Arab League not being an exception, as it recognized early on the importance of diversifying partnerships through turning eastwards and enhancing cooperation with influential countries in Asia, notably the People’s Republic of China.
His Excellency added that against this backdrop, this forum is taking place with the aim of providing an important institutional framework for collective cooperation, with mechanisms extending to senior officials and ministerial levels, adding that this culminated in holding the first China-Arab States Summit in Riyadh in 2022, which encompassed various fields: political, economic, cultural, media, and developmental cooperation, and had a positive impact on the expansion of trade relations between Arab countries and China, now one of their largest trading partners.
Regarding the State of Qatar’s relations with the People’s Republic of China, HE Director of the Arab Affairs Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Nayef bin Abdullah Al Emadi pointed out that bilateral relations have continuously grown since the visit of HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani to Beijing in 2019, followed by subsequent visits by Qatari officials and the signing of agreements opening new prospects for bilateral relations, making Qatar the primary source of natural gas to China.
Regarding the workshop’s activities, HE Director of the Arab Affairs Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that one of the primary challenges that the workshop should address with regard to Arab-Chinese cooperation is confronting global fluctuations and changes in international alliances. His Excellency noted that the Russian-Ukrainian war has created disruption in the order of the international community, leading to catastrophic economic impacts such as inflation spikes and supply chain shortages, exacerbated by the social and health repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic in recent years.
His Excellency added that these factors have posed challenges that were addressed collectively within the framework of Arab-Chinese cooperation mechanisms, in such a way that resulted in high expectations for this forum to enhance Arab-Chinese communication in various fields.
With regards to joint efforts to bring about international peace and security, His Excellency said that these efforts must be intensified to find political solutions for hot issues in the region and to restore peace and security in the Middle East as soon as possible, especially in relation to supporting the Palestinian people and their right to establish an independent state.
In terms of planning and policies, HE Director of the Arab Affairs Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Nayef bin Abdullah Al Emadi emphasized the continuation of linking developmental strategies within the framework of cooperation between the two sides, citing the Belt and Road Initiative as one of the major achievements of Arab-Chinese cooperation.
Building on the achievements of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum over its 20-year history, the workshop provided a scientific review of key challenges and opportunities, aiming to build a proactive vision for enhancing mutual cooperation across various fields of political and economic activities, technological and educational initiatives, as well as cultural, media, and tourism activities.
The workshop saw the participation of research and study bodies in Arab countries, permanent missions of member states at the Arab League, as well as intellectual figures, academics, and specialized experts in international law, political science, economics, and sociology interested in following the activities of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum, alongside think tanks and strategic study centers in Arab countries.
Source: Qatar News Agency
