(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Irfan Bukhari | The Peninsula
Afghanistan Ambassador to Qatar, Abdul Hakim Dalili (pictured), has lauded Qatar's generous humanitarian projects in Afghanistan.
Speaking to media recently, the Ambassador said that it was pride for Afghanistan like other Arab and Islamic countries that Qatar was hosting 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Afghan Embassy and expatriates will celebrate 100th anniversary of Afghanistan's Independence and National Day today at the Sheraton Hotel.
Speaking about Afghanistan's independence in 1919, he said that the Afghan people were the people who always defended their dignity and independence and Afghanistan was among the countries which could not be occupied by foreign forces for long. 'Afghanistan is a country of one and a half million martyrs. After the withdrawal of the Soviet Union, we wished our brothers' support but they left Afghanistan without support which led Afghanistan to the current situations, he added.
Regarding Qatar's support to Afghanistan, the Ambassador said that during Soviet-Afghan War a large number of Afghan people were forced to take shelters in neighboring countries especially in Pakistan and Qatar provided generous support to Afghan refugees.
'The support included humanitarian aid, relief goods and in field of education. The support which began at that time is still continued like the projects of Qatar Red Crescent Society including drilling of surface water wells, building institutions etc.
He said that Qatari citizens also announced to invest in Afghanistan in many fields but war was delaying such projects. 'If armed conflict in Afghanistan comes to an end tomorrow, the country can attract investments. Afghanistan has very strategic location which is close to GCC and Qatar and Afghanistan have similar culture and religion.
The Ambassador said that Qatar offered scholarships to Afghan students. 'We are expecting more scholarships in future. Qatar University gives two scholarships to Afghan students and also scholarships are given by the Religious Institute. I am one of the beneficiary of Qatar's scholarship.
He said that there are about 5,000 Afghan expatriates in Qatar who are enjoying good reputation according to Qatari officials. 'My next plan is to convince Qatari authorities to ease the visa procedures for Afghan nationals. We have professionals like engineers, doctors and skilled workforce which can contribute to the development of Qatar if they get opportunity.
On Qatar's hosting 2022 FIFA World Cup, Abdul Hakin Dalili said that it was great that Qatar would host 2022 FIFA World Cup. 'First time the FIFA World Cup will be held in any Arab and Islamic country. Afghanistan as an Islamic country feels very proud on it. He said that Qatar had hosted many sports events successfully and FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 would be organized in a very unique way that would mesmerize the world and leave eternal memory on peoples' minds across the world.
On Gulf crisis, the Ambassador said that GCC countries were very important for Afghanistan. 'We wish for the solution of crisis as soon as possible. He also said that the current Afghan government had made a number of achievements for the people in the field of infrastructure development and education. 'Women were previously denied access to schools. We have now 260,000 students in private universities.
'In defense, we have a strong army at all levels. We have freedom of expression and our constitution is one of the best constitutions in the region, he added.
MENAFN1509201900630000ID1099005421
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.