Qatar’s Amir talks about combating COVID-19, efforts against terrorism and the importance of multilateral cooperation. 

Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani stressed the need for dialogue to achieve real peace throughout the region, in a virtual address to the United Nations General Assembly on September 22, 2020. 

In the 15-minute speech, the Amir took aim at recent peace treaties signed with Israel by the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, stating that “any arrangements that are not based on these terms [circumventing the Palestinian cause] of reference will not achieve peace, even if they are called peace.”

He reiterated that Qatar fully supports the Palestinian people and calls on the international community and the UN’s Security Council to “put the peace process back on track through credible negotiations.”

Read also: Qatar’s Emir rails against neighboring nations during UN address

Sheikh Tamim also highlighted Qatar’s progress since the 2017 blockade, particularly the country’s commitment to respecting the sovereignty of states and unconditional dialogue, calling for an end to the illegally imposed move.

He also addressed the various crises in the Middle East, including that in Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Libya as well as the recent explosion in Lebanon. The Amir emphasised the importance of the United Nations and its bodies in combating these crises and re-affirmed Qatar’s support in bringing about justice and reform. 

The 75th session of the UN General Assembly also marked the 75th anniversary of the creation of the international organisation, which the Amir called “ an institutional expression of our awareness that we belong to one humanity.”

Read also: Qatar dismisses normalisation claims, says its position remains the same

The Qatari leader also addressed the COVID-19 pandemic, combating terrorism via joint international action and supporting developing countries across the world. Similarly, he noted the importance of multilateral cooperation to address the challenges that face the international community.

“We will continue to work with the United Nations to achieve its goals and address the common challenges to maintain the interest of our peoples and the good for humanity,” the Amir said in his address. 

Follow Doha News on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube