According to Dr Cristian Tudor, the EU ambassador and head of EU Delegation to Qatar, trade relations and co-operation between Qatar and EU member states are expected to experience a

significant boost post the World Cup period. The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 was highly regarded as the best ever and showcased Qatar’s ability to stage mega-events, setting a new benchmark for future mega-event host nations. Dr Tudor said the tournament has had a positive impact on Qatar, which seems interested in expanding its network of embassies in Europe.

Dr Tudor highlighted how important Europe has become for Qatar, as seen by the opening of a diplomatic mission in Qatar by the EU and the opening of a few additional EU member states' diplomatic missions in Doha. The impact of Finland, which recently opened its embassy in Qatar, has been especially significant, leading to more business delegations and co-operation between the Qatari and Finnish private sectors.

Dr Tudor credited Qatar's success to a pro-active private sector, and people are aware of this success, especially those who came for the World Cup and are returning to visit and set up businesses. He described Qatar as a strategic partner for the EU and a country that played a crucial role in helping many Europeans and Europe in general during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ambassador Tudor sees a lot of opportunities to strengthen relations and co-operation with Qatar this year, capitalizing on the success of the World Cup. He said that the EU Delegation to Qatar is focusing on organizing the senior officials' meeting, which is like the annual strategic dialogue between Qatar and the EU, hopefully in May. Discussions on organizing the next round of human rights dialogue in Doha are also underway, which is expected to take place either in September or October this year.

In conclusion, Qatar's success in hosting the World Cup has opened doors for the country to strengthen its relations with the EU and EU member states. The pro-active private sector has led to greater awareness of Qatar's success, attracting people to set up businesses in the country. Qatar's importance as a strategic partner for the EU has been further solidified by its assistance during the Covid-19 pandemic, which is expected to lead to more co-operation in the future. Photo by FLASHPACKER TRAVELGUIDE, Wikimedia commons.