German minister says Qatar comments 'misinterpreted' and confirms attendance at World Cup
Gulf Times
German interior minister Nancy Faeser
German interior minister Nancy Faeser will attend her team’s opening match at the World Cup in Qatar, she confirmed during a visit to Doha, where she was received by Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani.
Faeser, who is also Germany’s minister for sport, was visiting the Qatari capital on Tuesday in the shadow of a recent diplomatic spat between the two countries over alleged mistreatment of migrant workers.
In a television interview last week, Faeser questioned whether Qatar should stage the tournament, prompting the foreign ministry to summon the German ambassador. But in Doha, Faeser said that her recent remarks regarding Qatar’s hosting of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 have been misinterpreted.
During her visit to Doha, Faeser said she appreciates Doha’s preparations to host the tournament, and the comprehensive and sustainable labour reforms it has implemented, Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported. “It is important to support the country of Qatar in groundbreaking reforms,” Faeser said on Tuesday at the end of the two-day visit to the country.
