19 Feb 2018 – 22:10
QNA
Doha: HE Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani reaffirmed that any dialogue with the siege countries will not be at the expense of the sovereignty of the State of Qatar, stressing the need to have basic principles for any dialogue, with these principles shielded by a clear mechanism to settle conflicts.
Speaking on Monday as he laid out the foreign policy of the State of Qatar before the Advisory Council, HE the minister said that the siege countries have violated all articles of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Charter, reiterating the importance of having a clear and binding mechanism to settle GCC conflicts.
HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani spoke about the constants of the foreign policy of the State of Qatar, pointing out that it is based on building friendly relations with world countries, protecting the interests of the state, defending Arab and Islamic issues and issues of the vulnerable, working to establish international peace and security through adherence to international laws, activating cooperation in multilateral frameworks at the United Nations and specialized bodies, adherence to international conventions and international development, in addition to the delivery of Qatari humanitarian assistance to those affected anywhere in the world.
HE the deputy prime minister and foreign minister described the fabricated crisis of the siege as unprecedented in the modern history of the State of Qatar, labeling it as treachery. He said that the State of Qatar, under the leadership of HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, took a strategic decision to deal with the siege in a civilized and legal way, and to rise above the level of the siege countries in the way they treat the Qatari people.
He also reviewed the stages of the crisis since its beginning and the measures the state took to counter the siege under directives of HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, pointing out that there are no actual reasons for the crisis but it aims to place Qatar under the guardianship of these countries, and direct Doha’s internal and external policy and exploits its resources to serve the interests of these countries.
HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani hailed the great role of HH Emir of the fraternal State of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and his good endeavors to resolve the crisis, noting that the State of Qatar has welcomed and supported this role. He also pointed to the role of the different ministries and government entities at the political, economic and legal levels to address the repercussions of the siege.
Asked about Qatar’s membership in the GCC, HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said that Qatar does not intend to leave GCC and will continue to work through it as long as the body remains. “If the siege countries want to go and found another entity, let them do.”
He said that Qatar is now strengthening its cooperation with Asian countries and is considering cooperation in the framework of multilateral regional organizations to join and benefit from them.
The State of Qatar speaks with the different world countries in the language of interests rather than threats as the siege countries do, HE the deputy prime minister and foreign minister said, adding that Doha has achieved many objectives in this regard as major countries condemned the siege and demanded its lifting.
On the latest developments in the crisis, he warned that the siege countries are keen to normalize the crisis and continue it in an attempt to weaken the Qatari economy in the hope that Doha would make concessions, stressing that the State of Qatar has thwarted all these attempts to harm the economy. “The last of these attempts was pressuring the Qatari currency and bonds.” (MORE)
