“The ties between Qatar and Cuba are in good shape in spite of the geographical distance and the economic and cultural differences”, said H.E. Rashid Mairza Al-Mulla, Ambassador of this Gulf country in Havana.

In a previous interview back in 2016, the diplomat defined the relations as "healthy and strong". Now, two years later, he claims that "today they are better than ever". He pointed out not only the almost three decades of ties since 1989 and the Qatari support for Cuba in international forums, but also the agreements and negotiations that recently took place, "particularly after the high-level visits between the two countries", he stated.

 The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, visited Cuba at the end of 2015. He was received by the former Head of the State, Raul Castro Ruz. Since then, more than a dozen agreements have been signed and bilateral dialogues have continued. The most recent one was the Second Round of Political Consultations, which was held in Havana at the beginning of May with the presence of the H.E. Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of Qatar, Sultan bin Saad Al-Muraikhi. "The interest of both governments in strengthening the relations was further confirmed during the Minister's visit", added H.E. Rashid Al-Mulla.

Following H.H. the Emir’s visit, a Memorandum was signed for the investment in Cuba of 2 billion dollars throughout five years. What is the current state of the Qatari investments in the Island?

 Different aspects regarding investments have been evaluated over the last two years; for instance, the hydraulics, the tourism, the electricity, the road infrastructure ―which includes a network of roads that would allow a more efficient transport in the Island―, and the commercial sector. We have also discussed about energy as this is an overtly important matter for Qatar. It is worth mentioning that we have experience in this field and the potential to lead in the production of gas. All in all, different projects have been presented and negotiated, and there is great interest from Qatar companies to invest in Cuba. Furthermore, the recent visit of the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and his meetings with Cuban officials has revitalized these projects so they can be developed  in the future. In addition, both countries have decided to create specialized committees to follow up on these plans; they are already working in that direction.

The construction of five-star hotels by a Qatari real estate company is among Qatar’s projects in Cuba. What is the current state of this project? Are there other possible investments in the tourist industry?

These projects have been delayed due to technical reasons, which politicians have not been able to control. The good news is that such obstacles are almost solved. The Qatari Diar Company is working together with the Cuban Gran Caribe, and we hope these projects can be fulfilled soon, particularly now that the Cuban tourism industry has flourished, which is proved by the increasing number of hotels and resorts that are built throughout the Island.

 Actually, the Cuban tourism industry is one of the main interest of Qatar. It is known that we have many companies specialized in the construction business and tourism services, which are internationally recognized. We would like to do business here and contribute to the growth of Cuban tourism.

 Another project is the creation of a joint venture airline company between the two countries, which would make easier to travel to and from Cuba. This would help to increase the number of visitors, not only from Qatar, but also from other countries, because this is a very attractive destination for tourists.

Cuba has more than 450 doctors in Qatar. How does your country value the Cuban collaboration?

 We consider the Cuban collaboration the strongest point, the core of the bilateral relations, our most important link. In Qatar, it is greatly appreciated the high level of Cuban doctors and that is why we founded the Dukhan hospital, which has been important not only for our country, but for the entire region.

Now we are planning to establish another hospital in the South and to start a process of hiring new doctors, always among the best, to expand those services. This is the reason new meetings have been taken place lately between Qatari and Cuban medical officials.

Also, the relations in the sport sector have improved as we are working within the framework of a bilateral agreement. This is a priority for us due to the sports events we organized in the past and the ones we will be hosting in the future, such as the World Cup in four years. As a matter of fact, we admire the development achieved by Cuba in this realm, and the well-known sports stars such as Javier Sotomayor, who has been followed by the Qatari Mutaz Essa Barshim. Cuban sport has a special place in the heart of Qatar.

Qatar is under a blockade by a number of Arab countries as we speak. How has this situation impacted your country and, in particular, the work of the Cuban collaborators?

This crisis took us by surprise a year ago, so the impact was severe, especially in the first weeks. It had a strong effect because of the nature of our imports, which ranged from food to basic materials; also, because of the close ties with our neighbors in business and commerce, and it caused a lot of pain on a personal level as well ― the Qatari families are interrelated throughout the Gulf and the blockade banned travelling to and from Qatar; therefore, many families and personal ties were temporarily cut.

In addition, those who are blocking us have sanctioned the solidarity offered imposing high fines and have severely limited the use of the air, land and sea space, what is more, we have been militarily threatened.  All this have impacted not only the Qataris, but also the foreign residents, among them the Cuban collaborators.

Nevertheless, the country reinforced its unity and faced the situation with the help of nations like Iran and Turkey, and also made use of our potential. We realized that we had the capacity to produce medicines, industrial products and food; in fact, we have multiplied our internal production and exceeded what we had before.

Today, the people who visit Qatar do not notice that the country is under a siege, that we suffered shortages, because there is peaceful ambiance and we have succeeded in overcoming the crisis. Furthermore, we have grown as a nation. This is why the Cuban collaborators, along with the rest of the foreign residents, have been able to continue doing their work safely without any kind of difficulties.

Might Cuba be a mediator in the conflict of Qatar with its neighbors?

First of all, we would like to commend Cuba's position in this crisis. It has remained neutral and has chosen the path of peace and dialogue ―which is the usual Cuba’s approach to international conflicts.

It is worth mentioning the important role of Cuba in the resolution of conflicts, particularly in Latin America, for instance, the peace process in Colombia; also, in the Middle East, where it has always supported peaceful negotiations. Because of this, Cuba is internationally recognized. This is why we considered that if Cuba wanted and if it were possible, it could play a major role as a mediator between us and the other countries involved in this conflict, so that any issue could be discussed at the negotiations table and, therefore, this situation could be resolved without affecting our sovereignty.

Kuwait has offered itself as a mediator since the beginning. We highly appreciate it, and we hope that, with the support of the international community, a peaceful solution can be reached without much greater consequences.

Qatar also has experience as a mediator and our international policy line has always favored mediation and dialogue to resolve conflicts; for example, in Sudan, Lebanon, Yemen, Afghanistan, where we have helped the parties to reach an agreement. And we have the willingness to mediate between Cuba and the United States, a conflict that has been going on for almost six decades and, if invited, we would offer our support to reach the best solution.

It has been a year since Cubans are not required to have a visa to travel to Qatar for a period of 30 days. How do you assess the effect of this measure?

This measure was taken as part of an agreement between Qatar and Cuba for the exemption of visas for citizens of the two countries, and has allowed the number of Cubans who travel to our country to increase, mainly people who will participate in events, like scientists and academics, and also relatives of the Cuban collaborators who go visit them there. In addition, it has facilitated the travel of Qataris to Cuba, in spite of the long distance and the difficulty of not having direct flights, which makes the trips take more than 25 hours. Even so, the Qataris who visit the Island are very pleased once they leave it, not only because of the landscape and the tourist facilities, but also the Cuban people and their kindness.

If the agreement for joint flights is reached, traveling between the two countries may further increase, not only for its citizens but for both regions, as Cuba is not only a tourist destination: it is also an important centre in the Caribbean.

For some time now, there has been a project for a new embassy of Qatar in Havana. What is the current stage of this and how has it been managed in relation to Havana's urban environment?

The project has been delayed due to bureaucratic procedures and research work ―soil and topographic analysis of the area. This has taken a long time. A Qatari and a Cuban company are performing the work, while the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cuba is in charge of all procedures.

Finally, we received the maps and the construction plans, so we believe we would be able to start the actual work soon. As for the design, the idea is to make it the Arab style. Here, there is a constructive development for the tourist industry, with buildings in which different styles have been used; our building will be nothing alike. It will be a long-term work, which includes the cleaning-up of the place and improving the conduits, so that it does not affect the building nor the environment when the sea level rises. We hope that once it is finished, it is perceived like something new in Havana, like a pearl for the city, which coexists harmoniously with its surroundings.