Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani Quotes

A constructive approach to diplomacy doesn't mean relinquishing one's rights. It means engaging with one's counterparts, on the basis of equal footing and mutual respect, to address shared concerns and achieve shared objectives.

The Iranians and Persians are excellent at the art of negotiation.

Well, the thing that I learned as a diplomat is that human relations ultimately make a huge difference.

The bonds of trust between the United States and Israel have been frayed, but even the hostility and disrespect the Obama administration has shown has not severed those bonds.

Sanctions and negotiations can be very ineffective, and indeed foolish, unless the people you are talking with and negotiating with and trying to reach agreements with are people who can be trusted to keep their word.

Yasser Arafat was the epitome of gracious Arab hospitality. I must have had 1000 meals with him. The problem was that he could never translate that hospitality to negotiations.

We won’t be very successful with the Chinese leadership [on human rights issues] if we’re in their face all the time.

A policy that can be accurately, though perhaps not prudently, defined as one of “peaceful co-existence.”

Diplomacy … means the art of nearly deceiving all your friends, but not quite deceiving all your enemies

You have to negotiate with people who don’t trust you and vica versa. You have to be very careful but you can’t be paralyzed.

You have to talk to them before you think about bombing them.

Mistrust and misunderstanding are the major obstacles for people getting together .

Whoever said “Keep your enemies close” didn’t have many enemies.

lot of the uneasiness among Mexican leaders is because of the unknowns. Well those are to be determined and to be discussed and to be negotiated. At the end of the day, our neighborss aren't going anywhere and neigher are we, and we need to find ways to make it work.

Part of diplomacy is to open different definitions of self-interest.

Money does not buy anyone the right to tell Israel what to do, but long-term involvement, dialogue, and care demand that we must listen.

Coming from a smaller nation in Central Europe, I have learned pretty soon how important are agreed rules, cooperation, respect for partners and, most of all, willingness to listen and find common solutions.

Relations between countries are built on values and interests and many other things, but at the end of the day, leaders are also only human beings.

There are some issues where we have common interests with Germany, there are some others that we don't... The diplomacy between good neighbors doesn't mean nodding one to another.

For future geopolitical stability and global prosperity, we need to build a culture of greater trust and understanding between China, America and the rest of the world.

Many hard comments have been made on my efforts in India from the side of the Congress party, yet I feel content in the deep conviction that the offer I traveled 22,000 miles to discuss with Indian leaders was a real contribution to a solution of our differences.

Peace is purchased from strength. It's not purchased from weakness or unilateral retreats.

I don't think we should do anything that should make the people hate the American people more.

All world conflicts will be resolved if people listen to my advice.

If you treat China like a foe, surely she will become one.