A former senior Iranian diplomat has called for setting up a joint Iran-Qatar committee for the forthcoming World Football Cup in Doha.
In a telephone interview with the “Roudad Programme” of Radio Goftogoo, Hamid Reza Asefi, in view of the importance of relations between Iran and Qatar, said “Our relations with Qatar can cover several fields, since Qatar is our neighbour and only a narrow waterway separates it from Iran. Therefore it is not a matter of surprise to enter into relations with Qatar in almost all fields.”
He said what is surprising is that till now we have not established wide ranging relations with Qatar, which enjoys an ideal position since it was not a party to the political ploys of certain states against us, and we also have stood firmly beside Qatar.
Asefi, pointing to the positive stance of Iran during the bid of certain regional states to boycott Qatar, said: “Iran had firmly stood beside Qatar in those critical days and they also realize these facts.”
He took note of the two countries’ membership in the Non Aligned Movement (NAM), and said that there are plenty of opportunities for cooperation in this regard, especially at the UN.
He pointed to the recent visit of President Seyyed Ebrahim Raeisi to Doha and called for proper development of the Tehran-Doha common potentialities to ensure the national interests of the Islamic Republic.
The former Foreign Ministry Spokesman referred to Iran’s technical and engineering capabilities which could be of benefit to Qatar, and said the activation of the private sector can help increase the flow of Iranian products to Qatar.
He said that over the past few years Iran has successfully initiated health tourism “and we can greatly help visitors from Qatar seeking cosmetic surgery and cure for infertility.”
Asefi also said in his interview that Iran is an ideal place for investment by Arab states, and “in view of skilled manpower that we possess, we can attract investment from the people of Qatar.”
He added that Iran is a rich country and can join other countries in exploring the markets of third countries, like those of Africa, and this possible practically.
Referring to the necessity of setting up a joint committee for the upcoming football world cup, he said: “We should be beside the people of Qatar and they should stand beside us.”
He concluded that Iran has the capability to attract world cup visitors and it is about time we focused on this issue and started planning various tours in this regard.
