The federal government will go to Qatar within the first spherical of the World Cup: “It surprises me just a little, however I be aware of it”

This Thursday morning, Zakia Khattabi, Federal Minister for Local weather and the Atmosphere, was the visitor of Bel RTL’s Matinale. She was capable of reply Antonio Solimando’s questions at 7:50 a.m.

The federal government is not going to boycott the World Cup in Qatar: certainly, it was introduced yesterday that Hadja Lahbib, Minister of Overseas Affairs, would journey to the Gulf nation from the beginning of the competitors. A choice that Zakia Khattbi, Minister of the Local weather, “takes observe” however which appears to hassle her just a little.

“This surprises me, however I be aware of it“, she explains on the microphone of Antonio Solimando. “So I see that alongside local weather diplomacy, there may be soccer diplomacy, and that surprises me just a little“.

Zakia Khattabi, in addition to the complete Ecolo political household, had been in favor of an entire boycott of the competitors, with a small adjustment within the occasion of progress within the Crimson Devils match. “We had been on the road that if the Belgians went to the quarter-finals or semi-finals, for instance, the Prime Minister and the Royal household would go there. We thought it was compromise. My colleague has made one other determination, however I shall be very attentive to what shall be stated“.

“Tough to observe logic”

“Going to Qatar with a ‘message’ about human rights and local weather, is not {that a} bit pointless?“, asks Antonio Solimando then. “I am unable to inform, we’ll see with follow. However I discover that we evaluate a World Cup, which is a festive occasion, with a COP, which is a global assembly which goals to safeguard the residing circumstances of humanity. There was by no means any query of footballers not going however concerning this authorities determination I’ve a little bit of a tough time following the logic“, she admits.

However whereas Qatar at present offers us with 15% of our fuel, ought to we be offended with them by refusing to go to the nation for the World Cup? “No, however the compromise to ship the Prime Minister and the Royal household from a sure stage of the competitors appeared to me to be the suitable concept, it was not a nasty sign“, reaffirms Zakia Khattabi.