The occasion of the 45th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral relations between the United Mexican States and the State of Qatar, the embassy of the State of Qatar in Mexico has organized a virtual meeting in which participated His Excellency Graciela Gómez ambassador of Mexico in Qatar and his Excellency Mohammed Alkuwari ambassador of the state of Qatar in Mexico, This meeting was moderated by the coordination of the IBERO University Global Business Degree.
It should be noted that during the meeting Ambassador Gómez appeared in traditional Qatari clothing drinking an Arabic coffee served by the traditional Qatari jug, in the other side Ambassador Alkuwari brought a mexican tipical shirt (guayabera) drinking a delicious Mexican coffee (pot coffee), in an act that symbolized cultural exchanges that both countries had lived through those 45 years .
During the meeting, both ambassadors discussed various phases of bilateral relations between two countries, covering the political, economic, cultural and sports sectors.
His Excellency. Ambassador Gómez together with Her Excellency. Ambassador Alkuwari began the meeting with a historical review of the process of the diplomatic relations between two countries exhibiting photos of the official visits of the leaders of both nations.
In turn, Hon. Ambassador Alkuwari treated cultural diplomacy as one of the most relevant elements in relations between Mexico and Qatar, he also mentioned that Qatar is one of the safest countries in the world, he announced the huge number of international schools and universities in Qatar, and affirmed that education has been one of the most important elements in establishing bridges of encounter with the countries of the world. For her part, Ambassador Gómez stressed that the Qatari people are fascinated by Mexican culture.
Then, both ambassadors addressed the issue of trade diplomacy between Mexico and Qatar. Ambassador Gómez emphasized that the levels of exchange in 2019 marked a growth of 60% compared to the previous year, exceeding 111 million US dollars. In the same context, His Excellency. Ambassador Alkuwari exposed the work of the Qatari Investment Authority and which is currently among the ten largest sovereign wealth funds in the world with assets of $ 335 billion.
In order to the COVID-19 pandemic topic , both ambassadors agreed that growth levels are likely to be slightly lower this year compared to last year, however, Ambassador Gomez extended an invitation to Mexican companies, to establish business relations with Qatar.
As investment opportunities in Mexico, Ambassador Gómez highlighted that the investment program launched by the Mexican government includes more than 147 infrastructure projects, from the transportation, telecommunications, basic services and tourism sectors, to projects in the energy and health sector . Next, the two ambassadors discussed Qatar Petrolium since its entry into Mexico in 2018 and its growth achievements in the oil market.
Without a doubt, one of the most relevant topics at the meeting was Qatar and the next world cup 2022. Ambassador Gómez affirmed that the tourists who participated in the 2019 Asian Cup in Qatar had a very positive experience of everything they lived during their residence in Qatar.
Finally, both ambassadors closed the virtual activity with a cycle of questions and answers, thereby clarifying any questions from the forum attendees whose audience has reached more than 1,000 people.