Santiago: Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) signed a $5m agreement with the Chilean government to reconstruct the Chilean city of Santa Olga and the surrounding areas that were damaged due to the wildfires that broke out in January.
H E Fahad bin Ibrahim Al Hamad Al Mana, Qatar’s Ambassador to the Argentine Republic and non-resident ambassador to the Republic of Chile, signed the agreement on behalf of the State of Qatar, while Juan Manuel Sanchez, director general at the Chilean Ministry of Public Works represented the Chilean government.
The signing took place at the Maule region municipality headquarters in the presence of Santa Olga mayor and a number of officials from the Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Public Works as well as representatives of the families of the affected city.
On this occasion, the ambassador said the agreement is a genuine expression of the political will and wise leadership of the State of Qatar, represented by the Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and a loyal response for HH the Emir’s support for the friendly Chilean people who suffered from wildfires that damaged homes, schools and all daily life facilities in Santa Olga.
HE Al Mana said the agreement is part of the political efforts that aim to enhance bilateral relations between the two friendly countries in hope that cooperation efforts between Doha and Santiago would carry on in all the political, economic, cultural and social fields so as to serve the benefits of both countries.
He added that signing this agreement would serve as a bridge of fraternity and loyalty between the Qatari and Chilean peoples as well as a humanitarian message that gives hope to the residents of the affected city.
HE the ambassador reaffirmed the importance of bilateral ties between the State of Qatar and the Republic of Chile, reiterating Qatar’s keenness on enhancing these historic ties between the two friendly countries.
He noted that QFFD spares no effort in contributing to reconstructing affected areas across the world, pointing to the pioneering humanitarian and economic role of QFFD and its contributions in parallel with the Qatari diplomacy to deepening and strengthening Qatari relations with peoples of the world.
For his part, HE Sanchez praised the role of the government of the State of Qatar in supporting affected peoples around the world, expressing his country’s gratitude over Qatar’s support for the residents of the affected areas and easing their pain after the disaster.
