The Embassies of Cuba and Haiti to Qatar, with the collaboration of the Qatar National Library (QNL), organized an event attended by ambassadors and other guests. The meeting was presided over by H.E. Dr. Hamad Bin Abdulaziz Al-Kawari, Minister of State and President of the QNL, Cuban Ambassador Oscar Leon Gonzalez, and Haitian Ambassador Jean-Marie Francois II.
Dr. Hamad highlighted the importance of the event as an example of dialogue between cultures that takes place a few weeks before the inauguration of the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup in Doha. He also recognized the legacy of the figures of José Julián Martí Pérez and Joseph Auguste Anténor Firmin, whose ideas and objectives transcended their lives. Dr. Al - Kawari also confessed the positive impact that the visit to Cuba to represent Qatar at the IV International Conference “For the Balance of the World” in 2019, had on him.
The Ambassadors of Haiti and Cuba referred to passages from the lives of Martí and Firmin, the importance of the work of both patriots for the freedom of their peoples, their endeavor against racial discrimination, and in favor of the integration of Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as the close ties of cooperation between Cuba and Haiti. They also highlighted the personal friendship between José Martí and Anténor Firmin that left written testimony of this relationship for history.
The Ambassador of Cuba praised the significance of the QNL in his speech:
“The Qatar National Library is a project that reflects the profound global and humanistic vision of Their Highnesses Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Amir of the State of Qatar, and Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Father Amir, who with wisdom and leadership have succeeded in making Qatar a prominent country in which culture and traditions coexist in harmony. The upcoming FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 will be a further confirmation of these successes and a significant example of what a small country in the South can do for peace, friendship, cooperation, and solidarity.”
The donation of books on the life and work of Martí and Firmin was the main reason for the meeting. In this regard, the Cuban representative thanked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cuba, the Office of the Martí Program, and the Cuban Medical Brigade working in Qatar for supporting the initiative.
Doha, 15 October 2022
Press Office
Embassy of Cuba in Qatar