(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Qatar welcomes the nuclear deal reached between Iran and the major world powers because the agreement will help make the region free of weapons of mass destruction, HE the Foreign Minister Dr Khalid bin Mohamed al-Attiyah said yesterday.
In a telephonic interview, HE al-Attiyah told CNN's Christiane Amanpour that Qatar had been encouraging a peaceful solution to the Iranian nuclear row through means like negotiations. "In fact Qatar was one of the first countries to encourage such a solution," he said.
Asked if the deal made the region safer or dangerous, the minister said that if the agreement was implemented in the right spirit, it would lead to peace in the region, adding he was sure the world powers must have discussed all safeguards involved in the implementation and verification of the pact.
On Saudi concerns over the deal, al-Attiyah said Riyadh had every right to be concerned if Iran violated the terms of the agreement and it went out of control. In such a case Saudi Arabia has the full right to seek all measures to protect itself, he said, adding it is the right of every country to pursue a peaceful nuclear energy programme.
Al-Attiyah said the agreement would give confidence to Iran and make Tehran more relaxed and it would reflect positively on the region. He said there were diverse views on the outcome of the historic deal and Qatar preferred to choose the positive view.
To a question on Iran's support to Bashar al-Assad in Syria and its role in Iraq and Yemen, the minister said Iran would have to deal with the people of Syria rather than supporting a brutal regime.
Asked about the allegations surrounding Qatar World Cup 2022, he said the charges of corruption against FIFA dated back to 20 years and Qatar was awarded the bid on the basis of merit. "We presented the best file," he asserted.
The minister also told CNN that Qatar had been taking steps to improve the living and working conditions of expatriate workers. "Qatar has been working hard on this. We have been making steady progress. We will look after them and take good care of them," the minister added.
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