Qatar’s distinguished diplomacy has brought in more glowing laurels yesterday. The United States, represented by the Department of Defense, presented the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Qatar’s Ambassador to the US H E Sheikh Meshaal bin Hamad Al Thani with the Department of Defense Medal for Distingushed Public Service, the highest honorary award given by the United States to US officials and officials of the governments of friendly countries.
The US Department of Defense affirmed that awarding this high honour to HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs comes in recognition of his outstanding diplomatic efforts to strengthen relations between the State of Qatar and the United States and his commitment to cooperation with the United States across a range of fields.
The honour recognised the exceptional contribution by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Ambassador towards nurturing the ever-developing Qatar-US partnership, which has seen immense progress in the recent past, and Qatar’s valuable efforts in promoting peace. While presenting the award, the US Department of Defense specifically appreciated his exceptional role in supporting and advancing peace efforts in Afghanistan, particularly the diplomatic leadership he provided, which for decades has played an essential role in making great progress towards peace in Afghanistan, including the signing of the agreement between the US and the Taliban on February 29 last year and the launch of the Afghan peace process on September 12. It also commended the Deputy Prime Minister’s relentless efforts to promote stability and prosperity in the region and resolve the Gulf dispute.
While bestowing the award on H E Sheikh Meshaal, the Department of Defene said the honour recognises the contribution made by the Ambassador in strengthening relations between Qatar and the US at the levels of foreign policies, defence, economy and national security. It pointed out his role in launching the Qatar-US Strategic Dialogue and his pivotal role in the continuation of the dialogue process.
The strategic relations between Qatar and the US are not only mutually beneficial and important, but also goes to a great extent in bringing peace, security and development in the region and beyond. This honour is another testimony of Qatar’s glorious role in the international stage and the strength of the country’s voice in the comity of nations.
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