5. Statement by the Minister for Economy: Qatar World Cup Engagement

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:08 pm on 15 November 2022.

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Photo of Vaughan Gething Vaughan Gething Labour 4:08, 15 November 2022

Thank you for the series of questions. Look, we have always acknowledged that the decision to host the tournament in any county is FIFA's. I don't think Sepp Blatter's recent interventions have been helpful, nor do I believe that they were designed to be helpful. There's a broader point that there are politics in every organisation, and there certainly are plenty of politics within FIFA.

When it comes to where the tournament now is, our choice is: now that we've qualified as of right, what is our choice in how we support our team, and what does that mean for the Welsh Government and Welsh Ministers? And that's what I've set out. It's what I set out in August, and then in the statement in the Senedd on 27 September, and what I'm reiterating again today in our regular engagement.

On LGBTQ+ rights, I think we've been clear about the fact that we, of course, have a difference, not just in our laws, but in our values, and that's part of our engagement with different parts of the world. And the First Minister set out the specific statement on engaging with countries where we don't share values. The challenge always is whether you engage or not, and if you engage, how you go about engaging in a way that is positive about who we are in this country, and to be proud of that.

It is a matter of coincidence as opposed to deliberate choice to have chosen all of the ambassadors that we have by, if you like, the fact that one of them is black, the fact that we've got two women, the fact that two of them are out. That's simply because they offer lots and lots: Laura McAllister in the world of sports diplomacy, she's really engaged in this world—you'll know this as well—across men's and women's football; Colin Jackson, with a huge international following, and he'll be able to bring lots with him; Bryn Williams, what he'll bring, a renowned chef, and food and drink is a real opportunity within that region but broadly across the world; and Katie Owen from Merthyr is someone who has got a significant appeal to a much younger audience—I'm afraid much younger than myself, typically, I must acknowledge that those days of me being young are long gone. But we're deliberately choosing people we think who can add to Wales and that goes alongside the FAW ambassadors as well. Ian Rush and Jess Fishlock are people who football fans around the world will recognise, and especially Jess Fishlock, being last year's most valuable player in women's football in the United States. Both Jess Fishlock and Laura McAllister have been very clear about their views and values, and I don't expect them to stop. We've chosen people who will add to Wales's brand and what we're going to be able to do on a global stage, and we'll be proud of each and every one of those, as well as the team.