Welsh Governent should pull out of Qatar and United Arab Emirates

The Welsh Government currently has offices in 12 countries, including in Dubai, the UAE and Doha, Qatar. However, the Welsh Lib Dems say that the offices should be reconsidered and the resources of Trade and Invest Wales potentially moved to countries with better records on human rights and democracy.

Commenting Welsh Lib Dem Leader Jane Dodds MS stated: “Given the appalling human rights record of both Qatar and the UAE we are calling on the Welsh Government to consider whether these offices should remain open.

“We are strongly in favour of Wales having a strong international footprint to promote our outstanding businesses and exports across the globe, but we also want to make sure Wales has an ethical trade policy that does not just consider raw profit, but also human rights and democracy.

“I am not comfortable that the limited resources of Trade and Invest Wales are being used to promote trade in these two authoritarian nations where being part of the LGBT+ community can still be punished by execution and women’s rights a treated such little regard.

“Furthermore, the UAE has been heavily involved in the War in Yemen, a conflict that has caused over 233,000 deaths and displaced over 3 million people. Meanwhile, Qatar has been routinely accused of financing various extremist organisations.

“I want Wales to be a confident and outward-looking nation, but I also want to see Wales stand up strongly for human rights, democracy and liberty. I would urge First Minister Mark Drakeford, as Portfolio Holder for International Relations and Trade, to urgently reconsider the viability of these offices. If the Government is to keep the offices open, they should publish any work that they are carrying out in order to promote better human rights and democracy.”