The Qatari Foreign Ministry has summoned the German ambassador to Qatar, Claudius Fischbach, on Friday in protest against statements made by Interior Minister Nancy Faeser about the World Cup.
In their note of objection, the Qatari authorities have stressed that the words of Faeser, who said that there were «criteria» that a country had to meet «to organize sports competitions», are «contrary to diplomatic norms and conventions», especially because of the friendly ties of the two nations.
«The memo noted that the most prominent Human Rights groups and UN agencies praised the reforms implemented by the State of Qatar in the field of labor, as they were effective and long-term, in addition to being the result of years of planning,» Foreign Affairs explained in a statement.
The country’s foreign spokesman’s advisor, Mayed bin Mohammed al Ansari, described the German Interior Minister’s remarks as «unacceptable» and «provocative», while stressing that the European Parliament itself passed a resolution on political views that harm other countries.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz noted in September during an official visit to the United Arab Emirates that conditions for World Cup migrant workers had improved in recent years, but were still far from ideal.
«We notice that there is progress on issues that had to be fought for a long time, such as the situation of the workers. Even if that is far from (being so),» the German chancellor said from Doha after meeting Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman the day before, DPA reported.
The emir of Qatar lashed out at the extent of criticism of the country’s hosting of the next World Cup, which will be held from November 20 to December 18 in the Asian country, reproaching an «unprecedented campaign» against the country.
Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who said from Doha that Qatar understood that «some criticism could be positive and useful» for the country’s development, assured that the organization of the tournament has received too much criticism.
Qatar has been criticized for many years for the treatment of migrant workers in the country. In fact, just this Tuesday, FIFA confirmed the death of three people in recent years in the construction of stadiums for the Qatar 2022 World Cup. In addition, the Asian country has also been criticized by the LGBTIQ+ community for the criminalization of homosexuality.
