Yury Sentyurin
Congratulations to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the high authorities, and the people and residents on Qatar National Day.
Qatar has every reason to celebrate this national day with full fanfare. After all, this was a challenging year for the State of Qatar as it had to contend with the urgent healthcare crisis of a pandemic and a period of economic and social inactivity.
But challenges are nothing new for the ambition of Qatar. The country has already demonstrated to the world its hallmark resilience time and again.
This year, however, the world saw a new Qatari attribute: generosity and humanity. Armed with a comprehensive plan and state-of-art facilities, the State bold and stringent measures to stop and reverse the spread of coronavirus. The country’s proactive and innovative approach in mass screening, extensive contact tracing, multi-lingual public awareness campaigns on preventive measures, and investment in its world-class healthcare facilities resulted in currently one of the lowest community transmission rates in the region.
This stunning achievement showcases that Qatar, with its wise leadership and the resolve of its people, can counter any challenge faced by this strong nation. It also exemplifies that for Qatar, every life matters.
The country’s model of sustained progress – grounded in the Qatar National Vision 2030, which seeks to use the nation’s natural oil and gas resources to produce sustainable economic, social, human, and environmental development for the long-term benefit of its people, and the people of the region and beyond – proved its strength in another of its formidable areas of prominence: the world’s energy system.
In spite of the current market challenges, in 2020, Qatar maintained its position as the world’s largest LNG exporter and even managed to increase its exports, which is, again, a remarkable achievement, reflecting endurance and adaptability in managing its resources.
Notwithstanding the double crisis of COVID-19 and low energy demand, the State uninterruptedly fulfilled its obligations towards all contracting parties, ensuring investments across the value-chain and increasing its sought-after LNG exports.
If past is an indication of the future, I am confident that Qatar will continue its journey on the path of progress, regardless of the number of the year.
The approaching years are of crucial importance for the country. In 2021, Qatar will enter its second foundational era as it marks the Golden Jubilee Anniversary since gaining independence in 1971.
We are proud that the very same year the State will play host to the 6th Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) Summit of Heads of State and Government in November 2021 – exactly 10 years after the event’s 1st edition in 2011 and one month prior to the 50th National Day iconic celebrations. The occasion will also bring Qatar one year closer to the spectacle of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™.
The 2011 event was poignant for the GECF as it signalled the arrival of natural gas as one of the most important energy sources to the world. Since then, natural gas has become the fastest growing fossil fuel in the world and is expected to continue increasing its share in the global energy mix by 2050.
The 2021 edition of the GECF Summit will, once again, take place at an important time for the natural gas world, as well as Qatar, as economic recovery and the said resource’s pivotal role in it will be in the spotlight.
Speaking about spotlight, Qatar won the bid to host the FIFA World Cup in December 2010, and a decade later, also in December of 2020, it has won the bid to host the 2030 Asian Games. No doubt, this is a very poignant moment in the country’s modern-day history as 2030 will mark the culmination of Qatar’s national vision as well as showcase why Qatar is, now, the new axis of opportunity in a world pivoting towards Asia – the driving engine of the world economy and the largest region to import gas up to 2050 and beyond.
While thanking the State of Qatar for hosting the permanent Headquarters of the GECF and for extending to us the country’s hallmark generosity and support, I extend congratulations to Qatar on its National Day and best wishes of peace and prosperity to all its people.
Yury Sentyurin is the Secretary-General, Gas Exporting Countries Forum
