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The State of Qatar recognized Bosnia and Herzegovina in November 1992.
- Diplomatic relations were established on January 22, 1993. - The embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the State of Qatar was inaugurated on January 18, 1995. - The first Bosnian ambassador to the State of Qatar was H.E. Mr. Nusret Cancar. - Current Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the State of Qatar is H.E. Mr. Husejn Omerspahic. |
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Qatari possition regarding Bosnia and Herzegovina |
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Qatar has been
supporting Bosnia and Herzegovina and its peoples since its independence.
Within the framework of brotherly assistance, it has stood next to Bosnia
both on the political ground and by giving the financial and humanitarian
aid during the war and in the post- war years.
Qatar has supported a sovereign, multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, democratic
Bosnia and Herzegovina based on the Dayton Peace Agreement through the International
Organizations: OUN and its Agencies, OIC, GCC and others.
 Emir of The State Of Qatar, H.H. Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani greeting Mr. Alija Izetbegovic, Former President of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina during the State Visit to Qatar in 1998 |
In
His letter to H.E. Mr. Alija Izetbegovic, Chairman of Bosnian Presidency
in May 1997, H.H. Emir of Qatar said: "The State of Qatar
will continue inciting by all the means the International Community
to apply the principles of the Dayton Peace Accords, with the emphasis
on the application of the article which obliges all the parties that
signed the Agreement to hand over to the International Criminal Tribunal
for the Former Yugoslavia all those indicted for the war crimes committed
in Bosnia and Herzegovina. |
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Qatari Assistance |
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The Emir of Qatar, H.H. Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor Al- Thani as well as the whole Qatari nation represented by the non- governmental charitable organizations have made their best effort to assist Bosnia and its peoples wherever it has been possible.
During the
war period Qatar managed to supply large quantities of food, medicine
and other items to the needed civilians. It’s well known that Qatar handed
over donations worth tens of millions of US$ during the war for humanitarian
purposes.
In 1995, Qatar Charitable
Society chartered an airplane with 8 tonns of medicine, 12 tonns of powdered
milk and 20 tonns of blankets and clothes donated by the Ministry of Health,
just to mention some of its valuable assistance evaluated to more than US$
12 milion.
For its outstanding sisterly collaboration and permanent assistance to Bosnian
people, Qatar Charitable Society was honored with a Placket from the hands
of Bosnian President.
In the post-war years Qatar has been participating both through the
International Organizations and on bilateral level to support the reconstruction
and the revitalization of Bosnian State, its civil society and its economy.
Qatar has
participated in all Brussels’ Donor Conferences for Bosnia and Herzegovina
which were held so far and has donated US$ 5 million for the reconstruction
carried out through this Organization.
Besides this, Qatar has given around US$ 67.572.000 in direct donations for
different projects in B&H.
To mention but a few:
- US$ 1.000.000 was given for the equipment for the Radiological Clinic in
Sarajevo,
- US$ 250.000 for the purchase of oil in 1996
- US$ 1.231.000 for the printing of school books
- US$ 1.698.000 for the reconstruction of the Faculty
of Islamic Sciences in Sarajevo
- US$ 500.000 for the Shehids’ Fund
- US$ 700.000 for the hart surgery practiced on 50 Bosnian patients in the
Clinic for Hart Surgery in Doha (through the Eid bin Mohamed Al-Thani Charity
Association)
- US$ 10.000.000 for the purchase military vehicles within the framework of
the Train and Equip Program offered by the US Government for the Army of the
Federation of B&H. Also 125 members of the Federation Army were trained
on these vehicles in Doha.
- US$ 1.000.000 was given for the activities of the Ministry of Agriculture
and
- US$ 1.000.000 was donated by Al-Jazeera TV to the Bosnjacka TV broadcasting
company.
Qatar has been developing a large project of reconstruction of family houses
in the Municipality of Zepa, aiming to bring back to their homes the pre-war
Bosniac-Muslim population who was expelled during the wartime from this, so
called, "safe zone" protected by the UN troops.
This project is worth more than US$ 3.500.000
Qatar Islamic Bank has offered a credit line designed especially for the projects
of revitalization of Bosnian economy which amounts US$ 5 million
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Qatar
hosted the First
Donor Conference for the Trust Fund for Urgent Return of Refugees and
Displaced Persons in Bosnia and Herzegovina within the framework
of the OIC-AMG
for B&H in Doha on 15th of May 2001.
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Bilateral
Agreements between the State of Qatar and B&H
- Agreement for the Avoidance of Double Taxation
- Air Transport Service Agreement
- Agreement on Economic, Commercial and Technical Cooperation
- Cooperation Agreement between Qatar Chamber of Commerce and the Chamber
of Economy of B$H
- Agreement Concerning the Reciprocal Promotion and Protection of Investments
- Memorandum of Understanding between the MOFA of Qatar and Ministry of Foreign
Affairs of B&H
Education
H.H. Shekha Mozah, the wife of the Emir of Qatar, on behalf of the Qatar
Academy, has established close ties of cooperation with the First Bosniak
School in Sarajevo (Bosnjacka Gimnazija Sarajevo). The Protocol of Cooperation
between the two schools which includes Qatar Academy’s assistance for
the modernization of the educational system has been signed.
Also an important number of scholarships for Bosnian students (from the Bosnjacka
Gimnazija and the Islamic School) have been offered by Their Highnesses, the
Emir and His wife.
As many as 18 bosnian students have been presently studding at the Qatar Academy,
Qatar University and Qatar Islamic School, careers that vary from modern languages
to Islamic religion.
H.E. Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim
bin Jabor Al- Thani made his personal donations into the Shehids’
Fund on the occasion of his first visit to B&H in 1996.
Communications
To facilitate the communication between the two countries, the Qatar
Telecom (Q-Tel) and the Public Enterprise PTT B&H have established
GSM Roaming (in a testing faze at the moment, but operating correctly).
Transportation
Qatar national airline, Qatar
Airways, which flies to Paris, Vienna, Munich and London (in Europe),
has been considering Sarajevo as a possible stopover on its European routs.
At the moment, Bosnian national carrier, Air
Bosnia flies from Sarajevo to Munich and connects with Qatar Airways flight
to Doha.
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Bilateral visits |
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H.H.
Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani,
Emir of the State of Qatar paid an official visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina
on June 1-2, 1998. On this occasion a large number of bilateral agreements
which provide a ground for a very close cooperation between the two
countries, as well as Qatari assistance to Bosnian economy, were signed.
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| Visit of Qatar's Foreign Minister H.E. Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabor Al-Thani to Bosnia |
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 full photo gallery |
H.E.
Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor Al- Thani, Minister of
Foreign Affairs of Qatar was the very first Foreign Minister of an Arab
State to visit Bosnia immediately after the Peace Accords were signed.
He landed in Sarajevo on the January 8, 1996 to check the situation on the spot with his Bosnian counterpart, Mr. Muhamed Sacirbegovic, former B&H Foreign Minister. H.E. Foreign Minister of Qatar H.E. Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor Al- Thani has visited Bosnia and Herzegovina in several opportunities since. H.E. the Foreign Minister H.E. Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor Al- Thani paid an official visit to B&H on April 23-25, 1998 with a very busy agenda. |
| Islamic Studies College, Sarajevo |
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 full photo gallery |
In
Sarajevo H.E. Sheikh
Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor Al- Thani inaugurated the Islamic
Studies College restored at the expenses of H.H. the Emir of Qatar.
This building was constructed in 1537 for a Sharia law school. It hosted the historic and art collection of the Museum of the City of Sarajevo fore more than 40 years. By the generosity of H.H. the Emir of Qatar, it now provides the outstanding conditions for both study and investigation to the new generations of Bosnian Islamic scholars. |
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Visit of Bosnian President Mr. Alija Izetbegovic to Qatar |
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 full photo gallery |
From
Bosnian side, there were some important visitors coming to Doha in the
past years.
It’s true that one of the most celebrated and most welcome personalities has been the former Bosnian President, Mr. Alija Izetbegovic. Widely respected for both humanistic and political activities, admired as a scholar, a writer and a statesman, Mr. Izetbegovic was honored with the highest decoration of the State of Qatar, Collar of Independence, on the occasion of his visit to Doha on March 7, 1998 |
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Visit of Bosnian delegation lead by H.E. Dr. Zlatko Lagumdzija to Qatar |
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 The full report from the conference |
High
level delegation from Bosnia and Herzegovina, lead by Foreign Minister,
H.E. Dr. Zlatko Lagumdzija visited Qatar on 14-15th of May 2001. The
delegation participated in the First
Donor Conference for the Trust Fund for Urgent Return of Refugees and
Displaced Persons in Bosnia and Herzegovina
within the framework of the OIC-AMG
for B&H. H.E. Dr. Lagumdzija and members
of the delegation also had a private reception with the Emir.
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