Hawkins: happy that the relationship between the countries ‘is back to where it always should have been
By Peter Townson
The British Ambassador to Qatar, John Hawkins, who left Qatar yesterday at the end of his tour of duty, is proud of the achievements that have taken place during his four-year tenure and is satisfied that the relationship between Qatar and the UK has blossomed during this period.
Gulf Times spoke to the ambassador ahead of his departure, and he expressed his pleasure at the fact that the relationship between the countries “is back to where it always should have been,” and looks as if it will continue to develop in the future.
Hawkins mentioned a number of particular highlights during his time in Qatar, notably the state visit of HH Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani and HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser to the UK in October 2010 which he described as a “landmark occasion.”
“The other really memorable occasion was the opening of the South Hook gas terminal in Wales,” he noted, adding that the launch was another indication of the close ties between the countries. Hawkins also spoke about the different sectors in which he has seen ties between Qatar and the UK develop in recent years. “I think the two overlapping areas where we have done a lot in the last couple of years are, first of all the regional political agenda, particularly with all the changes in the Arab world over the last year, we have worked very closely with Qatar on Libya, and we are now working closely on Syria and other issues in the region,” he said, adding “the level of engagement and the intensity of  it has been very close.”
“The second area where we have really moved the relationship forward in the last few years is the broader economic area,” he said, referring to the increase in trade between the countries, largely down to UK imports of gas from Qatar.
Hawkins also spoke about two-way investment, and said that both governments are aiming to encourage more of this in the future.With the Olympic Games set to begin in London this summer, Hawkins said hosting major sporting events is another area in which Qatar and the UK have collaborated closely. 
He said that he is looking forward to welcoming Qatari officials to London to enjoy the games, and expressed his excitement at attending it himself. He added that the summer promises to be particularly exciting in the UK, with the celebrations of the Queen’s diamond jubilee also set to continue.
Looking to the future, the ambassador said that he would like to see ties develop in three particular areas, namely education, science and technology and culture.Although the first British University will begin operations at Qatar Foundation this year when University College London opens its doors, and while a number of British institutions have established a presence at the Qatar Science and Technology Park and there have been various cultural exchanges in recent months, Hawkins believes these are the main areas that could be developed in the future.
“I would like to see more British universities here and I would like to see more schools here, as I think going forward we are going to have a real issue with school places in the future,” he said.
And while these are areas he would like to see develop during his successor’s time here, Hawkins will return to the UK after 12 years abroad, safe in the knowledge that the relationship between Qatar and the UK has developed strongly during his tenure here. Of course, this is an emotional time for the ambassador and his family as they prepare to leave the country which has become their home over the past four years. Meeting local well-wishers and bidding goodbye to friends he has made over that time has been a sad but rewarding experience for Hawkins over the past couple of weeks.
And although he is certain to return, he wants to allow his successor – announced as Michael O’Neill on Wednesday - enough time to establish his own presence here before visiting again.
“I think the challenge is to build on what we have done over the past couple of years rather than getting complacent - I think looking forward that is the challenge for us and I am sure we will rise to it,” he added.