Monday, 19 January 2021, Washington D.C., United States of America: US National Security Adviser, Ambassador Robert O’Brien handed the ‘Medal for Distinguished Public Service’ to Qatar’s Ambassador to the United States, HE Sheikh Meshaal bin Hamad bin Mohammed Al Thani, who deputized for the veritable recipient, Qatari Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani. The medal is granted in recognition of distinguished and exceptional services, impressive achievements made by persons concerned who deserve appreciation and praise for their performance.
The US Department of Defense affirmed that awarding this high honour to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs comes ‘in recognition of his outstanding diplomatic efforts to strengthen relations between the State of Qatar and the United States and his commitment to cooperation with the United States across a range of fields’.
A separate medal was bestowed upon the Qatari Ambassador himself stating that he ‘played an effective and major role in planning and launching the Qatar-US Strategic Dialogue, and that his pivotal role contributed to the continuation and preservation of this dialogue. Ambassador Meshaal Al Thani was thanked for working ‘to hold and organize meetings between officials and economic actors of the two countries, pointing out that the cooperation and commitment made by HE the Ambassador to achieve economic security had contributed to strengthening the national security and defense’.
The Medal for Distinguished Public Service was adopted in 1947, and recognises the exceptionally distinguished service of significance to the Department of Defense as a whole, or service of such exceptional significance. This medal is given in recognition of the considerable personal sacrifice motivated by patriotism and a sense of public responsibility. It is also an acknowledgment by the US Department of Defense of individuals’ achievements and contributions that qualify them to receive this medal.
The US Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service was presented in the past to former US Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and other prominent figures.
For further information:
Qatari Foreign Ministry: https://www.mofa.gov.qa/en/all-mofa-news/details/1442/06/06/deputy-prime-minister-and-minister-of-foreign-affairs-receives-us-highest-medal-for-distinguished-public-service
US Department of Defense: https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Releases/
Embassy of Qatar in the USA: https://washington.embassy.qa/en/news/detail/1442/06/07/deputy-prime-minister-and-minister-of-foreign-affairs-receives-us-highest-medal-for-distinguished-public-service, https://washington.embassy.qa/en/news/detail/1442/06/07/he-ambassador-of-qatar-to-united-states-receives-us-highest-medal-for-distinguished-public-service
