Looking at Stronger Ties

A second stint in Doha after a gap of almost 30 years should give a seasoned diplomat a reasonable time space to reconstruct the image of the city in his mind's eye. While his impression of the country continues to be fine-tuned, His Excellency Joseph Evan Lebaron, US Ambassador to Qatar, who took charge here last July, has no doubts about the warmth of its people.

In a candid interview to Qatar Today, Ambassador Lebaron talks about the expanding scope of bilateral relations between Qatar and the US, given the role the former is playing in regional peace initiatives. Lebaron places these initiatives in the context of President Barack Obama's Cairo speech, which focused on achieving a 'comprehensive peace' in the Middle East. Further, Lebaron says, that bilateral trade relations are burgeoning. Two-way trade has grown by 340 percent since 2003, with tremendous year-on-year (Q1 2009 over Q1 2008) growth in US exports to Qatar of 86 percent, making it the fastest-growing market for US goods in the Middle East. He talks at length about a new initiative – the American Chamber of Commerce  – under the auspices of the US Embassy, which will bring a new dimension to trade relations between the two countries.
   
It is not only trade that links countries, according to Lebaron; language also plays an important role in bridging cultures. Though fluent in classical Arabic, he rues the fact that he is not at ease with regional dialects.

Also, a philharmonic enthusiast, the Ambassador tries to attend the recitals of the Qatar Philharmonic as regularly as he can and describes it as a ‘melting pot’ of cultures.

|Q| How has your short stint of almost a year in Qatar been till now?

|A| Great. It is wonderful to be here again after almost 30 years. The first time my wife and I came here was in August 1980, and stayed until February 1982. The week we left was the same week that the Sheraton Hotel was inaugurated, so one of the last things we did before leaving was to tour the iconic hotel. In this long span, there has been a change in one fundamental aspect – and here I am not talking about buildings or the spate of construction – I am talking about the level of Qatar's engagement with the world at large which has deepened and widened. One thing that has remained intact and unchanged is the warmth, hospitality and generosity of the Qatari people.

|Q| Within the overall framework of cordial relations between the US and Qatar, what have been the major milestones and defining moments that have characterised bilateral relations?

|A| There is a very deep commercial relationship between the two countries, which is not new. What is new is the deep level of engagement in the arena of education and culture, and Qatar’s diplomatic engagement in places like Darfur, which is an issue that has stymied the international community for many years now.  There is also a very significant military engagement – these are some of the defining features of US-Qatari relations, which go back to the early 1970s.

|Q| With an energy-driven economy like Qatar, what could be the new areas of cooperation that the US would look at?

|A| We intend to and are underway in our efforts to work in a more intense and ambitious way in the area of science and technology, represented here by the Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP). The QSTP, headed by Dr Tidu Maini, the Research Advisor to Her Highness Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned, is a national initiative which, in tandem with Qatar Foundation, is a powerful engine in the nation's transition to becoming a knowledge-based economy, moving away from a fundamental reliance on commodities.

The US Government wants to partner with QSTP and support this initiative by getting new American companies to set shop within the Park. We would also like to assist existing American companies that are already part of QSTP.

For example, there are some initiatives which can be hosted under the umbrella of the US Department of Commerce in terms of the science and technology work that is underway.

In addition, we want to support Qatar Foundation, which is involved in incredible work not only in this country, but in the region as well, and in a wider sense,  in the world at large. The idea is to expand cooperation in various fields in which Qatar wants to move, and not in the direction that the US wants to impose. This is all possible because of the rare combination of resources and vision that this country is blessed with, and given the wise leadership of the Emir HH Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and HH Sheikha Mozah.

Further, with the proposed American Chamber of Commerce, I hope to strengthen US-Qatari linkages in a variety of commercial sectors. This would include architectural and construction engineering, education and training to support Qatar’s transition to a knowledge-based economy and, of course, oil and gas. 

Among the Chamber’s top objectives will be showcasing Qatar as a premier destination for conducting business. It will also help find ways to advance Qatarisation more effectively, and to promote US corporate social responsibility in a variety of ways. 

|Q| Qatar, with its role of regional peace-maker, has acquired a new dimension of international prestige. Will this be a differentiator in US-Qatar relations?

|A| It will be and it already is. For example, the work underway in Darfur to end the crisis there, to a great extent, has been helped by Qatar's initiative in the regional peace process, in the Arab League, the African Union and the United Nations. And in this entire process, the US is playing a very important role in coordination and cooperation with Qatar. This is a model that can be replicated elsewhere in the world. It is with these diplomatic initiatives, that I am trying to forge a stronger relationship at the political level. And with the new Presidential Envoy to Sudan, Scott Gration, a retired Air Force General, who has visited Qatar several times and is working closely with His Excellency Ahmad Bin Abdullah Al-Mahmoud, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, who is a very skilled diplomat, there is a new thrust to solving the whole issue.

|Q| Could we expect policy changes in the US with the new administration?

|A| There are new directions already. The emphasis is on partnering not only at the governmental level, but widening it to include international organisations, national non-governmental bodies, and citizens’ groups. The idea is to go beyond the narrow political level and focus on the overall improvement of the quality of life of the people at large, a context clearly laid out by President Obama in Cairo.

|Q| Will the new administration be working on US' image in the region? And do you think the West-Arab relationship has focused too much on conflict (Palestine, Libya, Syria, and the two Gulf Wars), and too little on development?

|A| Yes, certainly. I like to think of it as misunderstanding and miscommunication at both ends. There is an Arabic phrase, Su' Tafahum, which neatly encapsulates the spirit of miscommunication. But it is not just this region – it applies in other cases too. Language is a challenge in many cases, and when one is communicating across cultures in different languages, there is a high chance of miscommunication, not because of bad intent or ill-will but the daunting challenge of communicating clearly cross-culturally.

Yes, the West’s relations with the Arab world have focused too often on conflicts and we clearly appreciate that our overall relations should focus more on the factors that unite us and less on the policy differences. The common interest and mutual respect that the US shares with the region, something that President Obama has clearly referred to in his recent speech, can be the twin pillars on which the regional perspective of the US can be based on.

In my work as a diplomat, I try to make sure that all the parties involved in a particular task understand clearly what the other is trying to say. And the thrust here is on being clear, not necessarily simplistic, but direct in order to avoid confusion. The cultural and linguistic challenges need to be overcome by clarity in understanding. The effort should be to identify common ground.

|Q| You have a flair for Arabic. Does knowledge of language help you in understanding the local culture any better?

|A| To a limited extent, and I will tell you why. The Arabic that I speak is fushah, classical, not a dialect. If I were really good at the language, I would be able to speak in all the dialects which would have enabled me to understand the local culture much better than I currently do.