Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Economy – in the Senedd at 2:02 pm on 13 July 2022.
Well, it's helpful that I've visited the region twice now, and our office in Doha is working through a range of areas. Whilst we don't have huge numbers of staff in our offices, it's a matter of fact that seven of the countries that have qualified for the men's world cup finals have Welsh Government offices within them. I think we punch above our weight where those offices are based, partly because, on the ground, away from the headline politics of some of the continuing differences that we will have with the political direction of the UK Government, there are very good relationships between the embassy and the Department for International Trade teams in each of those countries. I saw that for myself when I was in the United Arab Emirates and, indeed, in Qatar as well.
I think part of our challenge is one of the points that you made at the end: how effective can we be in taking advantage of the opportunity that exists? To date, I can honestly tell you that I've been really impressed with the range of contacts that we've managed to deliver and what that means for Welsh businesses. You don't need to take my word for it; if you talk to food and drink businesses in the middle east region, they're very positive and complimentary about the work the Welsh Government has done alongside them to open up new markets. If you talk to those businesses that have gone on trade missions, they again will say that the work that our offices do is real and significant.
I should, as my colleague has entered the Chamber, recognise that much of that comes from the international strategy that Eluned Morgan put together when she was in a previous ministerial role. I do think we'll see a real benefit from that, not just in the coming months, but in the much longer term as well.