The Italian Ambassador addressing the event.
Doha, Qatar: The Italian Embassy in Doha hosted a musical celebration of the 79th National Day of the Republic of Italy that took place in the St. Regis Ballroom in Doha yesterday.
At the outset of the session, a rendition of both the Qatari and the Italian national anthems were performed by members of the Qatar Music Academy, before the unveiling of the theme of the night; “United in humanity.”
The opening speech, delivered by Ambassador of Italy to Qatar H E Paolo Toschi in both Arabic then English, reaffirmed Italy’s concern for the humanitarian situation in Gaza, emphasising the urgent need for a just and lasting resolution.
Minister of Public Health H E Mansoor bin Ebrahim bin Saad Al Mahmoud, Minister of State and QNL President H E Dr. Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al-Kawari, and Ambassador of Italy H E Paolo Toschi cutting the cake.
“We are gathered here today as people, joined together by our humanity always, and from this standpoint, we demand an immediate cessation to the war in Gaza,” stated the Italian Ambassador.
Paolo Toschi then thanked Qatar for the efforts put in place to ease the suffering of the Gaza population, as well as to put an end to the war, while reiterating that, in many other crises around the world, both Italy and Qatar have been firm in their support of peace and mediation efforts, providing a very important contribution to multilateral diplomacy.
He also stressed Italy’s full support for the diplomatic initiatives that are striving to come to a just and long-lasting peace in Ukraine.
Attending alongside the Ambassador Toschi were Minister of Public Health H E Mansoor bin Ebrahim bin Saad Al Mahmoud, Minister of State and President of Qatar National Library H E Dr. Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al-Kawari, Director of Department of Protocol H E Ambassador Ibrahim Yousif Abdullah Fakhro, Director of International Organizations Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikha Hanouf Abdulrahman Al-Thani, a number of heads and representatives of diplomatic missions in Qatar, Qatari dignitaries, cultural figures, business leaders, and members of the Italian community.
The evening featured several performances from members of the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, flown in from Rome for the occasion, who captivated audiences with their majestic interpretations of a selection of arias from the operas of Giuseppe Verdi and Giacomo Puccini; two composers often regarded as the most towering figures of Italian Opera. The event, blending tradition, diplomacy, and artistic excellence, concluded with the guests being treated to a selection of Italian culinary delights, providing them with another opportunity to further indulge in Italy’s rich cultural identity. This year’s Italian National Day in Doha reaffirmed the strong ties between Italy and Qatar, highlighting their cooperation to face regional and global challenges.
