Czech ambassador in Doha Peter Chalupsky has praised the close relations between Qatar and Czech Republic in various fields.
The ambassador affirmed, in an exclusive statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA), that the visit of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani to the Czech Republic is of utmost importance both in terms of timing and substance, as it comes at a time when bilateral relations are witnessing continuous and important development, pointing in a related context to his country's recent opening of an embassy in Doha, while Qatar intends to open its embassy soon in Prague in order to deepen these relations.
He noted that despite the global economic turmoil, including the energy crunch in Europe, there are many new opportunities to deepen Qatari-Czech partnerships in the fields of investment, trade and energy, in addition to exchanging visions and consulting on regional and global political issues, especially as the development of these relations has gained an increasing momentum in recent months.
He added that both countries have much in common in terms of truly strategic approach to modernising the economy, through building modern infrastructure, digitalisation and investing into state-of-the-art technologies, with the two countries' belief in meaningful investments and trade where there is still untapped potential in these sectors.
He noted that most of Czech exports to Qatar were mainly of machinery, medical equipment, pharmaceuticals or construction equipment, expressing his hope that the Czech export sectors will expand significantly, not only in these areas, but also in defence and security, or space and aeronautics.
He stated that any major co-operation in energy between the Czech Republic and Qatar would necessarily increase the numbers and statistics of trade exchange between them to a much higher level, noting that there are enormous opportunities in exploring ways to co-operate in gas, including LNG, but also other energy commodities, like hydrogen.
The ambassador warned that the current energy crunch in Europe has been a wake-up call for many and clearly showed the need to diversify suppliers, routes, but also sources of energy, affirming that the strong partnership with Qatar, with her unique reputation of a visionary and reliable supplier, seems like a natural choice in this respect.
Ambassador Chalupsky explained that in addition to the aforementioned areas and sectors of co-operation between the two countries, Doha and Prague have the desire to enhance their co-operation and multiple partnerships in agriculture and biotechnologies, as there are multiple dynamic start-ups in Czechia, offering cutting-edge solutions in a number of areas seeking for partnerships or new markets.
Moreover, multiple sectors of Czech economy offer a solid outlook in terms of profit and further development. These include Czech energy sector which in itself is already highly developed but also has remarkable potential for further development and expansion; hotel and spa industry with facilities famous throughout the world; infrastructure projects including transport networks and hubs with high potential for further expansion and interesting returns.
He said that his country has the appropriate investment-related legislation in place, though some of its new elements will enter into force in the near future, pointing out that a Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement between Czechia and Qatar was signed in June.
A text of an Agreement on Promotion and Protection of Investments has been agreed by both parties in early September and is currently being reviewed by EU authorities as required.
He indicated that the latter Agreement does not constitute a necessary condition for any potential Qatari investment in Czechia and should be viewed as more of an upgrade.
The ambassador pointed out that the tourism industry is among the key areas in which the two countries wish to deepen their co-operation, especially in hotel and spa business, as well as developing broader tourist infrastructure.
In this context, he affirmed that Qatar Airways service to Prague has provided a significant boost for tourism and has also been a huge asset for the business communities of the Czech Republic which, he said, highly appreciate the extraordinary quality of currently the worlds best airline, and praise its reliability even in difficult times during Covid-19 pandemic, expressing his hope to see a much larger footprint of the Qatari national carrier in the Czech air transport sector in the future.
Ambassador Chalupsky praised the exceptional preparations made by Qatar to host the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. "We admire the tremendous efforts that the State of Qatar has expended in preparing for the FIFA World Cup. We also commend the long-term vision to keep the newly built infrastructure operational long after the event to the benefit of not only the Qatari people but also the whole region and the world."
He stressed that the World Cup is a unique opportunity to present the extraordinary Qatari culture to foreign visitors, expressing his appreciation for Qatar's openness in welcoming the diverse crowd of fans with their own cultural and social background from other parts of the world.
"The Czech National Team has not qualified but Czech fans will certainly find their favourite teams to root for. I am sure the Qatari National Team will be one of them," he added.
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