Qatar and Sri Lanka are time-tested friends and have stood by each other in times of crises – Minister of Labour and Foreign Employment Manusha Nanayakkara

On the happy occasion of the National Day of Qatar, marking that country’s unification in 1878, it is with immense pleasure that I extend my war felicitations and sincere greetings to Qatar nationals in Sri Lanka as well as spread across all parts of the world.

Qatar National Day is also known as Founder’s Day and is celebrated on Dec 18 each year. It celebrates the rise of Sheikh Jassem as the father and founder of Qatar. It is a day for the people of Qatar to celebrate the rebirth of their country. On 18 December 1878, Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani succeeded his father, Mohammed bin Thani as ruler of the Qatari Peninsula. He is deemed to have unified all the local tribes by combating external forces, such as the British. He also earned a considerable degree of autonomy for the tribes of the peninsula. Qatar National Day celebrates such history and those who have worked hard towards making it what it is now. The country has kept its traditions and history alive over time, thus it is worth celebrating.

The State of Qatar celebrates its national day this year, while it proud of the glories of the past and cherish the achievements of the present with full of hope, optimism and confidence for a bright tomorrow and a future full of giving, development, renaissance and progress under the wise leadership of His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar and his government.

Qatar is a wealthy nation and is widely recognized as a place for commercial activities in the new world.

Qatar-Sri Lanka diplomatic relations started in 1998. Since then, Sri Lanka has been maintaining very cordial relations with Qatar in many ways. Qatar is one of the countries which have been receiving many Lankan workers. There are over 150,000 Lankans working there; around 79% of them are labourers and 21% are professionals/skill workers. Qatar is very important for Sri Lanka in terms of foreign remittances and humanitarian assistance. Large amount of foreign remittance ($ 400-500 million) comes from Qatar every year.

Sri Lanka opened its Mission in Doha in 1997 and Qatar opened its Mission in Colombo on 28/09/2004. Since then, the bilateral relations between the two countries witnessed great progress and developments in various fields.

I am thankful to the Qatar envoy and embassy officials in Sri Lanka for their support and corporation to address some issues prevailed pertaining to issuance of visa to Lankans visiting Qatar. Earlier the number of visa issued to the Lankans was around 120-150. After recent changes, the number has doubled and the waiting has been brought down from weeks to days. I am also thankful to Qatari authorities in their swift action to recognize the degrees offered by the Lankan universities. Until very recent times the state of Qatar officially recognized only the degrees from three Lankan universities; namely, the universities of Peradeniya, Moratuwa and Ruhuna. Action has been taken to extend that recognition to all universities coming under the purview of the University Grants Commission of Sri Lanka. This I am sure would enable more Lankan professionals to seek employment opportunities in Qatar.

Both our countries enjoy membership in the Non-Aligned Movement, and follow a non- aligned foreign policy. The two countries also follow similar policy on international issues such as human rights, global warming, environment, issues related to the cooperation among the countries of the South (South-South Co-operation) and the dialogue between the North and the South (North-South Dialogue).

Sri Lanka and Qatar enjoy close bilateral relations based on longstanding friendship and shared values. The strong relations between Qatar and Sri Lanka in several areas have further expanded in the recent times.

Qatar and Sri Lanka are time-tested friends and have stood by each other in times of crises such as the COVID-19 outbreak and the blockade of Qatar by some of its neighbours. Lankan manpower has been playing a significant role in the development of infrastructure in Qatar.

It is time we look towards enhancing our bilateral relations on other levels. The next five years will see the two countries fostering economic ties in various sectors. We aim at building upon its strong ties with Qatar in several areas including tourism, health, agriculture and energy. I am confident that these friendly ties will be further advanced in the coming years for the mutual benefit our two countries. I send my best wishes to all Qatari nationals for a joyous National Day.