Qatar Successfully Reunites 14 Russian, Ukrainian Children with Their Families

Dr. Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansari

Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr. Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansari announced that the State of Qatar successfully reunited 10 Ukrainian children and 4 Russian children with their families today as part of its mediation efforts to bring together children affected by the war between Russia and Ukraine.

Speaking during the Ministry of Foreign Affairs weekly media briefing, Dr. Al Ansari stated that this mediation has been ongoing for months and has resulted in the reunification of 48 children with their families -5 from Russia and 43 from Ukraine. He praised the cooperation between both parties in ensuring the safe return of these children to their families and shielding them from the consequences of the war.

He highlighted that this agreement was the result of Qatar's substantial efforts to achieve peace in general and its specific attention to this issue since the start of the war. He noted the positive role Qatar can play in promoting and establishing peace. As always, children are first received at the Qatari Embassy in Moscow before they are transferred to their final destinations and reunited with their families under Qatari supervision.

Dr. Al Ansari commended the efforts of HE Minister of State for International Cooperation Lolwah bint Rashid Al Khater for leading the negotiations and mediation processes, as well as the efforts of the relevant authorities from both the Russian Federation and Ukraine. He affirmed that these efforts are ongoing, with further positive steps to be announced in the coming periods.

He also pointed out that a health and social care program is currently being conducted for these children in Doha, with the presence of both Russian and Ukrainian representatives. He emphasized that, in any conflict or war, it is crucial to protect children from the impacts of these disputes, something that is gravely lacking in Gaza and now in Lebanon, where children have become targets amid the ongoing massacres and violence.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs official spokesperson confirmed that Qatari citizens will soon be able to travel to the United States without a visa, following Qatar's inclusion in the US Visa Waiver Program on September 20. He explained that the inclusion of the State of Qatar in the US Visa Waiver Program reflects the strategic relationship between the two countries and crowns the bilateral ties across various fields. Qatar is also recognized as a leading country in the Middle East and North Africa in terms of security and safety, according to international indicators, and it adheres to global standards in security matters.

He emphasized that this US visa exemption for Qatari citizens demonstrates the significant level of confidence in Qatar's safety, both locally and in its international relations. He also mentioned that a few months ago, Japan announced a visa exemption for Qatari citizens, following a similar announcement from the United Kingdom, where Qataris were the first to benefit from the new Electronic Travel Authorization program, which eases travel procedures. Additionally, Uzbekistan announced in August 2023 that it would waive visa requirements for Qatari citizens.

Dr. Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansari stated that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs continues to facilitate travel for Qatari citizens and reinforce the strength of the Qatari passport, which is among the world's strongest in terms of visa-free access and ease of travel.

Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr. Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansari addressed the ongoing situation in Lebanon, stating that numerous statements have been issued to halt the senseless conflict. He added that Qatar, along with several Arab countries, jointly called with the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, and various European Union countries for a ceasefire in Lebanon, stressing that the situation between Lebanon and Israel since October 8 is intolerable and poses an unacceptable risk of a broader regional escalation.

Dr. Al Ansari added that since the outbreak of the conflict in Lebanon, communication with all parties and regional partners has been ongoing to de-escalate tensions and reach a ceasefire. He stressed that the assault on Lebanon is unjustifiable, representing a full-scale war rather than a so-called limited escalation, with over 600 people have been killed within two days, a number that accounts for 50 percent of the casualties from the 2006 war, which lasted a full month.

Dr. Al Ansari underscored that the international community must act to stop this war and urge the parties involved to cease fighting, especially since there is a consensus that this escalation is leading to an unacceptable cycle of violence that cannot be ignored, given the complete absence of peace partners and political will to reach an agreement. 

He pointed out the situation in Lebanon is not separate from the events in Gaza, but there is a track working on the Lebanese file which is more urgent, and another involving multiple parties working to stop the war in Gaza, adding that there is no doubt that there is a significant overlap between the two files, but the reality of the matter is that a state's sovereignty is being violated, and a besieged Strip is being subjected to all forms of abuse by the Israeli occupation. He explained that there is no doubt that there is an overlap between the two files, but there are tracks working in parallel.

Regarding humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, the Ministry's spokesperson emphasized that preventing aid from entering constitutes a fully-fledged crime. Recently, a statement from 15 relief organizations reported that Gaza’s residents are consuming only one meal a day due to delays in aid entry. These organizations highlighted that 83 percent of essential food aid is being blocked from reaching the besieged strip due to border closures. He asserted that the Israeli occupation bears full responsibility for this situation, as there is no justification for preventing aid access.

Dr. Al Ansari described these actions as deliberate starvation and the use of food and medicine as weapons in the conflict, which primarily affects innocent civilians, including women and children. He warned that this matter could be repeated in Lebanon and other regions unless the international community takes a decisive stance and holds Israel accountable.

In the briefing's introduction, Dr. Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansari reviewed the recent activities of the Ministry and its officials over the past few days, which included more than 20 ministerial-level meetings and 37 bilateral encounters between Qatari officials and their counterparts worldwide. The primary focus of these discussions was the aggression against Gaza and the war in Lebanon, with Qatar reaffirming its firm stance on the necessity of halting the conflict and urging the international community to take immediate action to end it.

(QNA)