"Spain wants to continue strengthening its presence in the Gulf region, with which we have always maintained a privileged dialogue, but with which we wish to establish a more stable and strategic link," the King assured tonight, before the emir of Qatar, and President Pedro Sánchez, at the start of the gala dinner at the Royal Palace that the King and Queen offered to Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani and his wife.
Felipe VI congratulated the emir for the dynamism of the Qatari economy since his arrival to the throne and for the advances in civil rights and public liberties. "Qatar is, said the King, one of the most relevant and solid countries in terms of energy supply, with the highest per capita income and the highest educational level." He also valued "the increasing progress" in civil rights and public liberties, with the holding last October of the first legislative elections to the Shura Council and the legislative reforms to improve working conditions and the integration of women in the market. labor.
In his speech, the emir expressed "Qatar's confidence in the strength of the Spanish economy", and announced the investment of 5,000 million dollars (4,700 million euros) in the coming years. At the same time, he took the opportunity to invite the Kings to the opening of the World Cup that starts in November in Qatar, and to attend all the matches that interest them, after the classification of the Spanish team.
Being the economy the axis of the visit, the King highlighted the signing of numerous agreements and memorandums of understanding in various fields, and underlined investments and business relations as a "fundamental pillar" of the strategic association between both countries.
The gala dinner offered by the King and Queen in Zarzuela, now without masks, ended the first day of Al Thani's visit to Spain, which will continue this Wednesday, with the meeting he will hold with the President of the Government in Moncloa .
In addition to Sánchez, the foreign ministers, José Manuel Albares; that of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, Reyes Maroto, and that of Culture, Miquel Iceta, as well as the president of Congress, Meritxell Batet, and that of the Senate, Ander Gil, together with a large representation of businessmen, among them, the presidents of Iberdrola, Ferrovial, Acciona, Santander and Naturgy.
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