Foreign Minister Ertuğruloğlu, who held meetings in Qatar within the framework of his contact programme in Gulf countries, met with Qatar Minister of Education and Higher Education Dr. Mohammed bin Abdul Wahid Al-Hammadi this week.
They discussed how the Qatar government supports its citizens in higher education, what can be done for Qatar citizens in order to encourage them to attend universities in the TRNC, and ways the TRNC can cooperate with the Qatar government.
Ertuğruloğlu gave detailed information to Al-Hammadi about the TRNC and Higher Education in the TRNC.
Pointing out that the other important area in the TRNC besides higher education is tourism, Ertuğruloğlu said that the TRNC universities will go to Qatar to promote the universities and both governments can cooperate in the promotion of tourism to the TRNC
Al- Hammadi posed questions on the economy, tourism and trade in the TRNC as well as TRNC higher education, expressing his wish to learn more about Cyprus.
Stating that over 22,000 students from the member countries of the Organization for Islamic Cooperation have come to the TRNC, Ertuğruloğlu said that the Government wants to increase the number of students from Qatar.
Indicating that the TRNC Doha Representative Office is always ready for cooperation, Ertuğruloğlu also mentioned the Cyprus problem. He said “The Cyprus problem is continuing and we are facing some problems in higher education, tourism and trade issues because there are no direct flights due to embargoes in the TRNC. The negotiations have been continuing for 50 years but no success has been achieved, because, finding a solution in Cyprus does not seem possible in to the current system. A solution is not possible as long as the negotiations are on-going between a ‘state’ and a ‘community’. The Greek Cypriots, who has been accepted as a state, also have the advantages of the UN and EU memberships. They see us as a minority – why should they want a solution? ”