HE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani clarified Qatar’s positions on a number of issues, during a joint press conference with his American counterpart Anthony Blinken in Washington, according to Al Jazeera.
Syrian Arab Republic
The Minister of Foreign Affairs affirmed that there is no normalization with the current Syrian regime, saying: “We are not currently considering normalization with the Assad regime, and we believe that it must be held accountable for its crimes.”
Iran
On the Iranian issue, His Excellency said: “Iran is our neighbor, and our relationship with it is not an obstacle in the way of our relationship with the United States.” He added: “We disagree with some Iranian policies, but that does not mean not to talk to it.”
Ethiopia
On the Ethiopian issue, the Foreign Minister expressed concern over the escalation there, saying: We are concerned about the escalation in Ethiopia and the instability in East Africa.
Afghanistan
On the Afghan issue, the Foreign Minister affirmed that Qatar remains committed to taking the necessary action to achieve stability in Afghanistan, saying: “Our priority is for the aid to reach the Afghan people, especially with the approach of winter.”
He added: Abandoning Afghanistan would be a mistake and isolation is not a solution to any problem. He also urged the Taliban to fulfill their obligations and commitments, and also urged the international community to continue to engage in Afghanistan and not to abandon it.
Relations with Washington
On relations with Washington, the foreign minister said: 2022 will be an exceptional year to revive milestones in US-Qatari relations, stressing that our relationship became closer when we worked with Washington and international partners to evacuate thousands of Kabul.
US Secretary of State
For his part, US Secretary of State Anthony Belinken said that a unit will be established inside the Qatari embassy in Afghanistan to provide our consular services, pointing out that Washington’s relations with Qatar are expanding and events in Afghanistan have strengthened the partnership between the two countries.
Blinken said: Our partnership with Qatar is broad and is reflected in the constructive dialogue on many issues in the region, and we are preparing for the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, and it has never been more profound than it is now.
