DOHA, March 10 (NNN-KUNA) -- Qatar has announced a donation of 50 million Qatari riyals (USD 13.7 million) to the Republic of Comoros through its Qatar Development Fund implemented over a five-year period by the 'Development Fund of the Comoros.'

Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor Al-Thani announced the decision in a keynote speech of a two-day conference in support of development and investment in the Comoros Tuesday.

He said that the Republic of the Comoros, since its independence, has not been able to formulate a development, administrative and investment programme to boost its economy, sovereignty and independence.

He indicated that Arab countries conveyed this crucial issue in the Arab Summit, a notion mirrored in the Organisation of the Islamic Conference's summits and was included in the perspective of the United Nations 'Millennium Goals'.

He noted that the Republic of the Comoros is one of the least developed and poorest nations in the world, and that requires international solidarity to face development challenges by addressing issues that impede this in education, health, economic investment, agriculture, fishing, tourism and mining.

Sheikh Hamad called on nations to stand alongside the Comoros and provide maximum financial, technical, moral and humanitarian support, adding that the massive attendance in the conference represents the success of joint Arab and Islamic cooperation.

For his part, the Comoros President Ahmad Abdallah Mohamed Sambi expressed his gratitude to Qatar's efforts in devoting its diplomatic and financial support to contribute to the success of the conference.

Sambi said that Qatar's supportive stance of his people during the "toughest situations" will not be forgotten over generations.

He also reiterated that the Comoros is one of the least developed countries in the world, affected by extreme poverty.

The Comoros is unable to harness its natural resources in the field of development, and that is where this contribution will fill in, he indicated.

In another speech, Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa announced that the League will allocate USD 1.5 million to finance three projects in the Comoros.

The Comoros will also be featured as a must-see tourist site for Arabs, Moussa added.

He noted that this conference came in response to an appeal made by Sambi at the Arab League headquarters Secretariat three years ago, and as a result of the implementation of an Arab Summit resolution which recommends providing appropriate support for the development of the Comoros.

Secretary-General of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu also praised Qatar for hosting the conference.

Ihsanoglu emphasized that the OIC Secretariat will pledge a sum of USD 10 million for the impoverished nation's development, implemented over three years in collaboration with partners of civil society organisations, development institutions and financial partners.

-- NNN-KUNA