Ashgabat: An official delegation from the Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) participated as observers in the International Meeting of the Chiefs of Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies in the Member States of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). The conference, hosted in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, focused on the theme "International Year of Peace and Trust - Humanity and Neutrality".
According to Qatar News Agency, the QRCS delegation included HE Vice-President, Eng. Ibrahim Hashim Al Sada; Assistant Secretary-General for Communication and Resource Development, Mohamed Ahmed Al Beshri; and Head of International Relations, Dr. Aiham Ismail Al Sukhni. The two-day event convened leaders from the Red Crescent and Red Cross National Societies of several CIS countries, alongside representatives from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
Key discussions at the meetings centered on humanitarian challenges impacting the Central Asia and MENA regions, such as climate change, natural disasters, armed conflicts, and migration. Participants explored the development of principled humanitarian action, the promotion of humanitarian diplomacy, and the role of National Societies as auxiliaries to their governments.
The QRCS delegation stated that their participation aimed to foster regional and international cooperation and contribute to global humanitarian efforts. This aligns with QRCS's mission to serve humanity and uphold human dignity without bias.
A significant outcome of the conference was the signing of a bilateral memorandum of understanding (MoU) by HE QRCS Vice-President, Eng. Ibrahim Hashim Al Sada, and Maral Achilova, President of the National Red Crescent Society of Turkmenistan. The MoU focuses on cooperation, expertise exchange, capacity-building, and the adoption of best practices in future shared projects.
Both parties regard the MoU as a crucial step towards enhancing humanitarian partnership and integration within the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. This aligns with the IFRC's Strategy 2030, aiming to improve humanitarian responses and deliver quality services to vulnerable populations.
On the conference sidelines, the QRCS delegation conducted coordination meetings with officials from participating National Societies, including Dr. Pavel Savchuk, President of the Russian Red Cross, and leaders from Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, and Tajikistan. These discussions emphasized the importance of partnerships and expertise exchange to boost humanitarian response efficiency and broaden the scope of future joint efforts.