Doha, 27 Feb. 2020 (Amiri Diwan News)

The Amir of State of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Imran Khan discussed bilateral relations and the means to enhance them, in addition to a number of issues of joint interest.

During the official round of talks held at the Amiri Diwan this morning, the two sides discussed developing bilateral cooperation in economic, investment, and energy fields. They also exchanged views on prominent regional and international issues, led by the latest regional developments.

The session was attended by Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani, and a number of ministers.

On the Pakistani side it was attended by members of the official delegation accompanying the Prime Minister of Pakistan.

Prime Minister Imran Khan inspected the guard of honour upon arrival at the Amiri Diwan.

Islamabad, 15 Feb. 2020 (Geo TV Pakistan)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday vowed unflinching support for Pakistan on the issues related to anti-terror financing and the illegal annexation of occupied Kashmir by India. The Turkish president made the remarks while addressing a joint session of the parliament.

Addressing to the joint session of parliament in Islamabad, Erdogan said that he was thankful and happy to have had the opportunity to address the joint session of the parliament in Pakistan. "I am thankful for this opportunity. I am thankful to each of you individually for allowing me to address this joint session of Parliament," he said.

Erdogan further thanked the Pakistani people and leadership over the warm welcome he was accorded upon arrival. “It is my pleasure to speak to you. I am thankful to you for giving me the opportunity to address this house.”  “While in Pakistan, I feel like I am at home,” he said.

'Pakistan's pain is our pain'

"Today, Pakistan and Turkey's relations are admirable for others. During difficult times, Pakistan has supported Turkey," Erdogan added. “Our friendship is based on love and respect. Pakistan’s pain is our pain,” the Turkish president remarked.

Speaking about the issue of occupied Kashmir, the Turkish president said that Indian-occupied Kashmir meant to Turkey exactly what it had meant to Pakistan over the years. "The relationship between Pakistan and Turkey will continue in the future like it has in the past," he added.

In his speech, the Turkish president also said that Turkey had supported Pakistan on matters related to counter terrorism. "We assure Pakistan of Turkey's support at the Financial Action Task Force," Erdogan said.

"The positive steps taken by Pakistan with regards to investment and trade are improving conditions for business in the country. Economic progress is not achieved in a few days, but takes constant effort," the Turkish president said.

The Turkish president had earlier reached the parliament house to address the joint session of the parliament. Prime Minster Imran Khan greeted the Turkish president on his arrival at the Parliament House.

Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani, Speaker of the National Assembly Asad Qaiser, Governor Sindh Imran Ismail, and other top officials, including the service chiefs of the armed forces, were also present on the occasion.

Opposition to attend joint sitting

The Turkish president last addressed a joint session when he visited the country in late 2016. The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, which was in opposition at the time, had boycotted the session of the parliament Erdogan addressed.

In a statement, the party had said that it did not consider Nawaz Sharif, the prime minister at the time, as a legitimate ruler.  However, this time all the opposition parties will attend the special session convened for the Turkish president.

Former speaker of the National Assembly and senior leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, on Thursday said that opposition parties in the parliament would attend a joint sitting of the house scheduled for Friday morning.

Acording to the report published in The News, Sadiq said that the Turkish president was a guest of all of Pakistan and not only the PTI. "Therefore, we will be present in the parliament session to hear his address on Friday," he said, alluding to the PTI boycott of 2016.

'Will not repeat bad precedent set by PTI'

He said the opposition would never repeat a bad precedent set by the PTI. “Pakistan has excellent relations with the Turkish president, which tremendously improved during the tenure of the PML-N government as Ankara strengthened economic relations as well.”

Sadiq admitted that the relations between the government and the opposition had improved since the events of 2016. “But while opposing the government, we have not lost senses and are in no mood to cross all limits. Our participation in the joint sitting will give an excellent message to President Erdogan," he noted.

He added that the Turkish president stood out among the world leaders in supporting Pakistan when India annexed occupied Kashmir in August last year. "Not only that, he has been backing the Kashmir cause all along, which Pakistanis value a lot," he said.

Ayaz Sadiq said that the opposition parties undoubtedly considered Imran Khan as a selected prime minister who had clinched this office as a result of fake general elections, but they would still be in attendance in the joint sitting to show respect to President Erdogan.

“We have many opportunities and forums to settle political scores, but not when a foreign friend is speaking to the parliament," he remarked, referencing a statement made by PM Imran back in 2016 in which the premier had said he had no personal differences with Erdogan.

Beijing, 15 Feb. 2020 (Xinhua)

President Xi Jinping on Friday stressed improving the mechanism for major epidemic prevention and control and the national public health emergency management system.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, specified the requirements at the 12th meeting of the central committee for deepening overall reform, which he chairs.

Noting that safeguarding people's life and health is a major mission of the Party in governing the country, Xi stressed the need to strengthen areas of weakness and close the loopholes exposed by the current epidemic.

Xi said the current fight against the novel coronavirus pneumonia epidemic is a major test of China's system and capacity for governance.

Stressing the need to strengthen legislation on public health, Xi called for the assessment of revising laws and regulations concerning infectious disease prevention and treatment, as well as wildlife protection. He also highlighted speeding up establishing a law on bio-security, stressing that bio-security should be included in the system of national security.

Xi urged reforming and improving the disease prevention and control system to prevent major outbreaks, strengthening primary-level capacity, and improving a coordinated system for major public health risk analysis, evaluation, decision-making, and prevention and control.

Xi stressed improving the mechanism for major epidemic emergency response, and enhancing the coordinated mechanism for scientific research, disease control and clinical treatment.

The system of treatment for major epidemics should also be improved, Xi said, encouraging the application of digital technologies including big data, artificial intelligence and cloud computing in areas such as epidemic monitoring, tracing virus sources, epidemic prevention and treatment, and resource allocation.

Xi called for improving the medical insurance and medical aid systems for major diseases and a unified system for providing emergency response supplies.

Friday's meeting was attended by Li Keqiang, Wang Huning and Han Zheng, who are members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and deputy heads of the central committee for deepening overall reform.

According to a statement issued after the meeting, the committee's work report for 2019 and highlights for 2020, as well as documents on socialist market economy, pension system, infrastructure development and other areas were adopted.

To speed up the improvement of the socialist market economy in the new era, the new development concept must be fully implemented, the decisive role of the market in resource allocation should be put into full play while the role of the government should be better leveraged, the statement said.

Efforts should be made to create a fairer and more sustainable national pension system and establish a multi-layer social security system.

A modern infrastructure system that is efficient, cost-effective, green, intelligent, safe and reliable is an important pillar to economic and social development, the statement said.

Despite domestic and external challenges, the central committee for deepening overall reform has unveiled reform plans in key areas in 2019 and made progress, the meeting stressed.

The committee vowed to introduce a number of major reform plans in 2020 to solve key problems, focus on establishing better mechanisms, and ensure concrete reform results through evaluations and inspections, the statement said

Gazimagusa / Ankar, 15 Feb. 2020 (Anadolu News)

The people of Turkey and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) will not accept deadlock as the fate of the long-divided Mediterranean island of Cyprus, said Turkey's Vice President, Fuat Oktay on Saturday.

Fuat Oktay's remarks came during a meeting on the legal, political and economic aspects of reopening the abandoned town of Maras -- empty for decades -- in the Turkish Cypriot city of Gazimagusa. Oktay said efforts to open the abandoned town proved that Turkish Cypriots would not accept the status quo. Turkey aims to protect the rights of Cypriot Turks and ensure their political equality with Greek Cypriots, he added.

"Maras belongs to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus," he added, saying: "Steps by the TRNC for the economy and welfare of the area are legitimate."

Last year, Oktay said Maras would reopen after properties in the town were fairly returned to their rightful owners on the basis of historic documents.

Maras is currently a ghost town where entry is forbidden except for Turkish army personnel stationed in the TRNC.

Abandoned after the passage of a 1984 UN Security Council resolution, Maras' reopening was announced by Turkish Cypriot authorities on June 18. Historical and archival research backed by Turkey found that most of the land in Maras belongs to Turkish foundations, Oktay had said.

In 1974, following a coup aiming at Cyprus’s annexation by Greece, Ankara had to intervene as a guarantor power. In 1983, the TRNC was founded.

The decades since have seen several attempts to resolve the Cyprus dispute, all failing. The latest, held with the participation of the guarantor countries -- Turkey, Greece, and the U.K. -- came to an end without any progress in 2017 in Switzerland.

Doha, 15 Feb. 2020

International conference on ‘Social Media: Challenges And Ways To Promote Freedoms and Protect Activists’ will take off  on Sunday.

Over 300 local, regional and International organizations including human rights institutions, universities, think-tanks, journalists unions, major social media networks are among the participants in two days long conference. The conference is organized at the Hotel Ritz Carlton Doha by National Human Rights Committee of Qatar in collaboration with  Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI),  Office of the High Commissioner of United Nations (OHCHR), European Parliament and International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).

Experts and prominent personalities from social media, human rights institutions, parliamentarian committees and academics will be witnessing the discussion on more than 40 working papers, participating in 5 interactive sessions and 4 various working groups over two days long event.

In a pre-event statement, His Excellency Dr. Ali bin Samikh Al-Marri, Chairman NHRC Qatar said that the preparations for the international conference are in its final steps. He lauded the existing cooperation and coordination between the organizing bodies represented in the National Human Rights Committee, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights at the United Nations, the European Parliament and the International Federation of Journalists.

He said that the conference will witness experts and personalities from human rights institutions, major social media out lets, universities, think tanks, ‘Tic-Tac’, representatives from United Nations, European Union, European Parliament,  as well as wide participation from various regions across the globe including Germany; Italy;  Spain; the United States of America; Unions from Latin American countries such as the Press Syndicate in Costa Rica, Brazil, and Colombia:  as well as unions for journalists from African and Asian countries are participating, he added.

Dr. Al-Marri said that prominent personalities and representatives from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Matt international, organizations and networks of social networking sites,  as well as a large participation from Gulf, Arab and African region including Kuwait, Sultanate of Oman, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Mauritania, Jordan, Niger, Senegal, South Africa, Comoros, Cameroon, Uganda besides from Eastern Europe and Russia will be witnessed during conference.

Chairman, NHRC said that about 100 media outlets from inside and outside Qatar will be covering the proceedings of the conference including 30 correspondents from international media outlets, 25 journalists and media outlets from the local media and 50 from Social media activists.

The Key-note speakers at the opening session this morning include Chairman of the National Human Rights Committee in Qatar, and Vice-President and Secretary General of the Global Alliance for National Institutions For Human Rights, Dr. Ali Samikh Al-Marri; United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Her Excellency Mrs. Michelle Bachelet will be addressing via Video; Her Excellency Mrs. Georgette Gagnon, Director of the Field Operations and Technical Cooperation Division, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights; His Excellency Eamon Gilm WR, Representative of the European Union for Human Rights; His Excellency Younis Mujahid, President of the International Federation of Journalists; and His Excellency Carlos Negret Mosquera, President of the Global Alliance for National Human Rights Institutions.

The Conference is scheduled to close by 0230 PM on Monday with the closing remarks by H. E. Ali bin Samikh Al-Marri, Chairman, National Human Rights Committee, Qatar.  A tour visit for the delegates is scheduled at 0600 PM followed by a gala dinner in honour of the delegates at 0800 PM at the National Museum of Qatar.

Doha, Wednesday 12 Feb. 2020

Al Mannai Plus Events has officially announced that the Qatar International Boat Show 2020 will take place on March 18-21, 2020, in Porto Arabia, award-winning marina at The Pearl-Qatar. Khaled Essa Al Mannai, Chairman of the organizing company, addressed the media with the upgraded features of the upcoming show which will be held with the strategic partnership of United Development Company (UDC), master developer of The Pearl-Qatar.

Celebrating its 7th Edition, the show will connect the world’s most privileged yacht and boat manufacturers, service providers, local dealers, suppliers and potential buyers in an exclusive B2B and B2C platform to showcase the latest products and services in the marine industry.

During his press conference speech at the Hotel Intercontinental Doha City, Khaled Essa Al Mannai said that the Qatar International Boat Show is one of the premiere luxury events in Qatar where marine enthusiasts and industrialists can discover the greatest aspects of the industry’s products and services.  The show continues to attract a large number of participating companies with a 58% increase recorded in 2019 comparing to 2017. Al Mannai further added that the rapid growth despite the current geopolitical challenges underlines economic strength and resilience under the wise leadership of HH The Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

Commenting on Qatar International Boat Show’s main objectives, Al Mannai said the show  is an effort to preserve centuries’ old relationship of the natives with the sea as the sea reserves were the main source of providing livelihood, in addition to its role in positioning Qatar as a regional hub for luxury, highly skilled craftsmanship and most modern boats and marine related accessories. Based on these objectives, QIBS provides a single shopping window to the luxury lifestyle enthusiasts of the region.

Qatar International Boat Show invites a supreme group of yacht and boat owners, managers, brokers and other top-level advisors, whose diverse experiences, unique insights and varying opinions deliver a broad range of perspectives on the ever-growing extreme-luxury arena.

The show’s 2020 edition promises some of the world’s most prestigious manufacturers and suppliers together with a cross-section of ultra-luxury advisors who drive hundreds of millions in luxury yachting and boating revenue annually and represent independent and affiliated agencies with premium yacht companies.

As such, Khaled Al Mannai encourages regional luxury lifestyle products manufacturers and traders to take benefit of the annual Qatar International Boat Show for showcasing their products and services.

For his part, Dr. Loay Dalis, Executive Consultant of Al Mannai Plus Events, said that the exhibition area covered in 2019 was 6,000 sqm. Due to the large number of demand and expected increase in participating exhibitors from the high-end lifestyle products sector, the exhibition area in 2020 for the seventh Qatar International Boats Show will be 12,000 sqm, a 100 % increase comparing to 2019.

He said as mentioned earlier in the opening speech by Mr. Khaled Al Mannai, that there was an increase of 58 % in the participating companies, from 35 in 2017 to 55 companies in 2019.

Dr. Loay Dalis continued saying that there will be some featured events on the opening day and at the Gala Dinner night on 19th of March 2020. In addition, there will be several entertainment attractions which will be announced in the pre-event press conference.

Dr. Dalis also expressed his gratitude to the management of United Development Company (UDC), for hosting the 2020 Qatar International Boat Show at their flagship development The Pearl-Qatar, specifically in Porto Arabia Marina gates 23-27, in collaboration with UDC’s marina management subsidiary, Ronautica Middle East.

It is worth mentioning that the 2019 Qatar International Boat show was held in March 2019 and then the Former Prime Minister of State of Qatar had visited and inspected various sections of the exhibition. The 6th edition of the boat show was inaugurated by Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari, Minister of Commerce and Industry ,  Ibrahim Jassim Al Othman, President, CEO and Member of the Board of United Development Company (UDC), and Fahad Zainel, Chief Corporate Services Officer of Qatar Free Zone Authority, in addition to a number of dignitaries, diplomats, and business community members.

Qatar International Boat Show is a silver member of International Federation of Boat Show Organizers and a UFI (The Global Association of Exhibition Industry) certified event in Qatar.

 

Doha, 12 Feb. 2020

Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, President and CEO, Qatar Petroleum, expressed Qatar Petroleum’s solidarity with its counterparts in the People's Republic of China as part of its government’s efforts to contain the coronavirus and to alleviate its impact on the population and the economy.

In a statement issued today, Al-Kaabi said, “I would like to express the support of Qatar Petroleum towards its counterpart Chinese energy companies to meet any needs that can support China’s efforts to deal with the Coronavirus and its impact.”

He noted that all concerned Qatari energy companies are already working closely with their Chinese partners to assist in identifying and assessing potential support areas, and that they are actively engaged in accommodating certain rescheduling or re-routing requests for deliveries of Qatari energy products to China.