HE the State of Qatar's Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium and Head of its missions to the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Abdulrahman bin Mohammed Al Khulaifi said that the siege countries have taken the charge of supporting terrorism as a pretext for imposing siege on the State of Qatar, but none of them has provided a single evidence to substantiate their claims and allegations.

At a reception hosted by him and attended by a number of EU and NATO official, HE the Ambassador said that the State of Qatar, despite the attempts to break it and destroy its economy, is still strong and steadfast. HE added that the desperate attempts of the siege countries to convince the world that Qatar supports extremism and terrorism have bounced back on those countries and revealed their links to extremism and terrorism. "Qatar has strengthened its relations with the international community during this period," he said.

HE Ambassador Al Khulaifi referred to the speech of HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, at the 72nd Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, in which His Highness outlined the lies and allegations of the siege countries and stressed that the fight against terrorism and extremism has always been a priority for the State of Qatar through its active contributions to regional and international efforts to combat this phenomenon.

He said that the siege imposed on Qatar has broadened to reach the peoples of the siege countries, where mere sympathy with Qatar is prohibited and criminalized, pointing out that officials in the siege countries did not seek to criticize Qatar's policies, which is always welcomed by the State of Qatar, but instead called for changing the regime in Qatar, violated its sovereignty and incited hatred and violence.

HE Ambassador Abdulrahman bin Mohammed Al Khulaifi stressed that the State of Qatar has not and will not support or finance terrorism, but it has rather made every effort to combat terrorism. He added that Qatar is an active member of the international coalition against terrorism, in addition to being a party to international and bilateral agreements against terrorism. He further stressed that the challenge of combating terrorism is not limited to the State of Qatar, explaining that It is a regional and global challenge that requires collective efforts and political commitment by everyone.

He pointed out that the freedom of media provided by the State of Qatar has been widely accepted and welcomed by the peoples of the Arab world and the international community, adding that the call by some countries to limit this freedom indicates only their fear and weakness. The State of Qatar, unlike many countries in the Middle East, was not built on repression, fear and censorship, he added.

HE Ambassador Abdulrahman bin Mohammed Al Khulaifi touched on the geopolitical instability and regional conflict in the Middle East and the attempts being made by countries to exploit these tensions for their own gains. He further underlined the importance of settling disputes by peaceful means, stressing that maintaining peace and stability at the regional and international levels is a priority for the State of Qatar.

HE Abdulrahman bin Mohammed Al Khulaifi, Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the Kingdom of Belgium and head of Qatar's missions to the European Union and NATO, pointed out during his speech that what distinguishes the State of Qatar from its counterparts in the region is not its wealth, natural resources or the tremendous urban development, but the fact that the concept of development is at the core of Qatar's internal and external policy. The Ambassador noted that the State of Qatar enjoys a distinguished economic position and a high level of transparency as well as the highest level of security and stability in the Middle East and North Africa region and is ranked first in the world in terms of the most efficient governments according to the global economic model.

He explained that these successes have been achieved only thanks to the principles of good governance and the efficiency of the legislative system in the State of Qatar, which has placed it in a leading international position with respect to confidence in political decision-making.

HE Al Khulaifi also pointed to the high status of Qatari women, which is a genuine partner in the development witnessed by the State of Qatar, where their participation in the workforce and educational levels reached an unprecedented boom. The Ambassador noted that Qatari women represent today the highest percentage of women working in the GCC countries, and they are superior to the numbers of men in institutions of higher education.

He pointed out that religious tolerance is one of the constants in Qatari society and government policy. No Muslim or non-Muslim religious sect suffers any discrimination or exclusion as it does in some neighboring countries. Doha has become a platform for dialogue between religions, cultures and ideas.

HE the Ambassador further noted that the State of Qatar has encouraged the exchange of various political views, constructive discussions and provided platforms for creative dialogue that has been absent in the Middle East.

With regard to the field of higher education, HE Ambassador Al Khulaifi pointed out that Qatar hosts six branches of the American universities that operate according to their own faculties and administrations, while enjoying full academic freedom by their own university and academic standards.

HE the Ambassador added that Qatar's natural resources and wealth have contributed to changing Qataris' lives for the better, adding that Qatar's challenge is to harness these resources for the benefit of its people and to provide sustainable growth for future generations. Therefore Qatar adopted a policy of economic diversification to build a strong economy based on a highly educated workforce, not relying solely on oil and gas. He pointed out that the State has launched Qatar National Vision 2030, which is a comprehensive development plan aimed at transforming Qatar from an economy based on oil and gas production to a knowledge-based economy.