Swedish State Minister for Foreign Affairs H E Dag Hartelius. Pic: Ahmed Barakat / The Peninsula
Doha, Qatar: In a world increasingly defined by complex global challenges, the need for multilateral cooperation has never been more urgent, therefore, in this context, events like the Doha Forum stand out as vital platforms for fostering dialogue and progress, stated the Swedish State Minister for Foreign Affairs H E Dag Hartelius, yesterday.
In an interview with The Peninsula, he said, “The current global security situation is very serious. There are significant conflicts in the Middle East, Europe, following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and in other parts of the world, including countries like Sudan. These issues present numerous challenges that we must address.”
“All of these situations and conflicts require multilateral cooperation to find a path forward toward peace. An event like the Doha Forum is an important platform for achieving this, as it provides an opportunity for informal discussions, panel debates, and networking, which can lead to the development of new ideas,” H E Hartelius added.
Elaborating on Sweden’s role in international cooperation, particularly in the Middle East, Hartelius stated that Sweden, like most European countries, is deeply engaged with developments in the region, especially concerning the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the suffering occurring there.
“Sweden is involved both bilaterally and through the European Union, which is, of course, a key player.”
“We are discussing this all the time in the European Union and also trying to find ways of supporting a peaceful solution,” he said, adding that it is crucial to achieve a ceasefire, work towards peace, and move forward with the goal of a two-state solution.
H E Hartelius is visiting Qatar to participate in the Doha Forum. He is also meeting with Qatari officials to discuss further enhancing relations between Qatar and Sweden.
He said that following Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani’s successful visit to Sweden in early September, both countries are focusing on practical cooperation in several areas.
“My mission in Qatar is to meet with senior officials and discuss how to move forward with the agreements made during the visit,” he said.
“We are working on making our follow-up processes more concrete in various areas to ensure that the necessary decisions are being implemented,” Hartelius said, adding that his discussion with Qatari officials are mainly focused on reinforcing what was agreed upon and ensuring that things move forward as planned.
“A key area of focus is security and defense, given the current regional situation. Both Sweden, a NATO member, and Qatar have close ties with NATO, providing opportunities to strengthen cooperation in this field,” he added.
Other areas of collaboration between Qatar and Sweden include life sciences, healthcare in conflict zones, telecommunications, ICT, and infrastructure.
“We are making significant progress in these areas and are working to ensure decisions are implemented and agreements are followed through,” said Hartelius.
