Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the United States, H E Sheikh Meshaal bin Hamad Al Thani, receiving the medal from US National Security Adviser, H E Ambassador Robert O’Brien, in Washington.
Washington: The United States, represented by the US Department of Defense, presented Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the United States of America H E Sheikh Meshaal bin Hamad Al Thani with the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service, the highest honorary award given by the United States to US officials and officials of the governments of friendly countries.
The medal is granted in recognition of distinguished and exceptional services and impressive achievements made by persons concerned who deserve appreciation and praise for their performance.
US National Security Adviser H E Ambassador Robert O’Brien handed the medal to Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the United States H E Sheikh Meshaal bin Hamad Al Thani. The US Department of Defense affirmed that awarding this high honor to the Ambassador comes in recognition of his efforts in strengthening relations between Qatar and the United States at the levels of foreign policies, defense, economy and national security.
The Department of Defense said that the Ambassador played an effective and major role in planning and launching the Qatar-US Strategic Dialogue, and that his pivotal role contributed to the continuation and preservation of this dialogue.
The United States commended the role of the Ambassador, who worked to hold and organise meetings between officials and economic actors of the two countries, pointing out that the cooperation and commitment made by the Ambassador to achieve economic security had contributed to strengthening the national security and defence.
The US Department of Defense pointed out that the Ambassador also emerged as the main interlocutor in strengthening the defense partnership between the State of Qatar and the United States, and that his efforts to expand and deepen this cooperation between the two countries led to the strengthening of stability in the region, noting that the Ambassador also supported the close cooperation between the State of Qatar and the United States in the context of seeking peace in Afghanistan.
In addition, the US Department of Defense hailed the great assistance provided by the Ambassador to the American officials who travelled to Doha throughout the period from July, 2018 until December, 2020 to hold meetings with representatives of the Taliban, stating that His Excellency’s efforts reflect the role of the State of Qatar in this regard and had also a positive impact on the safety and security of US personnel and officials in the region.
The medal was adopted in 1947 and recognizes the exceptionally distinguished service of significance to the Department of Defense as a whole, or service of such exceptional significance. This medal is given in recognition of the considerable personal sacrifice motivated by patriotism and a sense of public responsibility.
It is also an acknowledgment by the US Department of Defense of individuals’ achievements and contributions that qualify them to receive this medal. The US Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service was presented in the past to former US Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and other prominent figures.
