On the occasion of the ‘Day of Unity’ (German National Day) in Doha on November 20 (tomorrow), ambassador Hans-Udo Muzel has expressed gratitude for Qatar’s support and shared vision for a unified Germany.
“The 9th of November 1989 is a very emotional date for Germans: everybody will remember where they were, and what they were doing, the moment they heard the breaking news that the Berlin Wall had fallen,” he said in a statement. “Thirty years ago, this happy event was one of the few miracles in history and everybody in Germany and all over the world was taken by surprise.”
He said the historic event and the ensuing re-unification of Germany on October 3, 1990 “would not have been possible without the support of Germany’s friends and partners in the world, among them the State of Qatar”.
The ground for German unity was laid earlier in the former Czechoslovakia and in Hungary where political leaders took brave decisions, letting citizens of the former Eastern part of Germany (the Democratic Republic of Germany) travel to what was then called West Germany, and thus causing the first cracks in the Wall that had divided Europe for four decades.
“Qatar shared this vision of a unified Germany, firmly embedded in Europe and the European Union, which would become a reliable and strong partner for Europe and the world.
“Qatar believed that Germany would contribute to peace, freedom, and prosperity at home and abroad.
“We are very grateful for the trust our Qatar partners and many others placed in us in 1989,” the ambassador continued.
During the past 30 years, Muzel said that Germany “was guided by this very conviction that dialogue and co-operation will provide much better answers to the global challenges in front of us, such as climate change, and the fight against poverty and terrorism”.
“And in this spirit, Germany is assuming its responsibilities with its partners on the global stage, for example, as a non-permanent member of the Security Council of the UN in 2019-2020.
“Qatar is a very important partner for Germany on the world stage, sharing the same vision of a multilateral and rules-based world order,” Muzel stressed.
He added: “The lesson Germany has learned over the past 30 years and which we are recalling on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, is that a strong and unified Germany in a strong European Union is to the benefit of all, both politically and economically, whereas walls are to the detriment of everybody.
“Recalling this experience, I don’t see any merit in building new walls anywhere in the world today.
“Against this backdrop, we are wholeheartedly convinced that only dialogue can de-escalate and solve conflicts.
“We, therefore, fully support the mediation efforts of the Amir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, to settle the crisis in the Gulf.”
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