The Qatari Embassy in The Gambia on Thursday 15th December 2022 observed its country's 144th National Day at a colourful ceremony held at Cocoa Ocean Hotel Resort in Bijilo.
The National Day celebration was a commemoration of the founding of the State of Qatar by Sheikh Jassim Bin Mohammed Bin Thani on December 18, 1878, who established the foundation of the modern State of Qatar.
Under his leadership, Qatar became a cohesive entity and an independent unified country.
Addressing a colourful ceremony, His Excellency, Faisal Bin Fald Al Ma'ana, ambassador of the State of Qatar to The Gambia, said the State of Qatar has always sought to enhance international peace and security through mediation aimed at resolving disputes by peaceful means and supporting development projects in various countries.
"The mediation of the State of Qatar in Sudan, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Chad, and other places has contributed to charting the path towards peace, stability, and development, not only in those countries but also at the regional and international level," he said.
The State of Qatar, he added, firmly believes that peaceful means are the best way to resolve conflicts and end wars.
He equally informed that since the normalisation of diplomatic relations between the State of Qatar and The Gambia, the relations between the two countries have witnessed great development in various fields.
"In order to consolidate the bilateral relations between the two countries, the two parties made mutual visits." He said as a result of the visits the Qatar Fund for Development signed an agreement to support primary education in The Gambia.
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"The agreement focuses on providing education opportunities within primary schools for children who are out of school. It also aims to enable access to education in primary schools for more than 66,000 out-of-school children."
He thanked the government, leadership, and people of The Gambia for the support they have provided to the Qatari mission.
Representing the minister of Foreign Affairs, Sering Modou Njie, the minister of Defence, said the commemoration of 18th December 1878 was indeed a joyous occasion to celebrate and pay tribute to those who contributed towards Qatar, a "great nation."
He said The Gambia and the State of Qatar have continued to enjoy excellent and fruitful relations at bilateral and multilateral in various fields of cooperation.
On the economic and political front, Minister Njie said the Gambia Government has received and continues to receive invaluable financial support from the State of Qatar and key among them includes, US$3 million that the Qatar Government supported The Gambia for the implementation of the country's transitional justice and a donation of television equipment worth 10 million dalasis to The Gambia Radio and Television Services (GRTS).
He also recalled that in September 2022, the Qatar Fund for Development and the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (MOBSE) signed a three-year financing agreement worth over 7 million US dollars.
"This project aims to return dropout primary school pupils to class."
He thus thanked the government and the State of Qatar for successfully hosting the Federation for International Football Association (FIFA) world cup.
