(MENAFN- The Peninsula) QNA
Rome: Foreign Minister H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said that the four siege countries prepared demands that were meant to be rejected. Sheikh Mohammed stressed that the demands violated international law and did not look to combat terrorism and instead focused on undermining and infringing on the sovereignty of Qatar, striking down on the freedom of press, and imposing auditing and probation mechanisms against Qatar.
The Foreign Minister stressed during a press conference in Rome that the countries which imposed the siege presented the list of demands to have them rejected, noting that Qatar wants instead to have a dialogue with suitable conditions. He said that they are trying to be more practical with Kuwaiti mediation which is coordinated and supported by the United States of America.
The Foreign Minister highlighted that the siege imposed on Qatar led to a humanitarian crisis for many families that were separated as a result of these measures. He noted that there were 12 thousand cases of husbands, wives, and children who were separated as a result of these measures. Those measures were collective punishment, a violation of international law, and the Charter of the UN. The countries who took those measures did not respect international law.
The Foreign Minister added that the siege countries implemented those measures without resorting to the conflict-resolution mechanisms agreed upon in the 2014 Riyadh agreement. He added that even though the demands were made to be rejected, Qatar is trying to be more constructive than the other countries. Qatar had no reservations against discussing any grievances those countries have, provided there was a clear basis for those grievances, that they do not violate the sovereignty of any country, and that they don't impose any guardianship which is something rejected by Qatar.
Qatar trying to be more positive with mediators
The Foreign Minister added that Qatar is trying to be more positive with mediators in Kuwait, and in light of the United States' support.
On the position of the Arab League and the GCC from the crisis, the Minister said that both councils were muted regarding the illegal measures taken against Qatar. The Minister added that this showed Qatar that the two councils do not have any tools to resolve the crisis and did not play any role at all. He added that Qatar is relying on the mediation efforts led by H H the Emir of Kuwait, which is being supported by the United States and all other friendly countries including Russia, Turkey, France, Germany, Italy, Britain along with many other countries.
On the telephone call which took place yesterday between Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Foreign Minister said that Russia does not want any escalation in the region and is encouraging all parties to engage in a dialogue. He said there were many meetings with the Russian side and many phone calls that took place between the Emir and President Putin.
The Minister also discussed the role of the US and said it was true that they wanted to play a role of a mediator, but maintained that the US was part of the issue from the beginning. The Minister called on US President Donald Trump to listen to the Department of State and the Department of Defence in matters related to the GCC crisis. He noted that President Trump relied in his remarks regarding the crisis on things said by leaders in the region, without mentioning who those leaders were. The Foreign Minister expressed his confidence that if the US President refers to his official security and defence institutions, he will find the correct information on the role of Qatar in counter-terrorism.
The Foreign Minister pointed out that the US-Qatari strategic ties extend for half a century and cover many aspects, adding that all institutions in the United States understand the importance of the State of Qatar.
On the possibility of Saudi Arabia engaging militarily against the State of Qatar, Foreign Minister H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said that there were no fears by the Qatari side of a potential military operation. The Minister maintained, however, that the international law must be respected and that Qatar will not accept any crossing of its borders from any party.
He noted that the State of Qatar is in an area that must remain very stable, adding that their allies will not accept any escalation in a region considered vital to all countries around the world.
The Foreign Minister responded to allegations made by Saudi Arabia and its allies regarding Qatar's support to terrorism by saying that such allegations were worthy of sarcasm. He said that Qatar's counter-terrorism efforts were clear, specially that it hosts the central command for the global coalition against IS.
The Foreign Minister added that Qatar combats terrorism with another strategic element that many other countries don't consider, evident in its efforts in educating children in crisis areas as well as empowering youth and creating jobs in those areas. He said that there were seven million children worldwide that receive their education as a result of programmes offered by Qatar. There were also 300,000 jobs for youth in North Africa, and the Minister said that all those initiatives are part of Qatar's efforts in combating the root causes of terrorism.
The Foreign Minister responded to allegations on financing terrorism and said that this phenomenon was present in all countries of the region and not just Qatar. He added that Qatar was at the bottom of the list when it came to that crime, stressing that there were clear efforts by Qatar to reform the laws and to place strict procedures that combat the financing of terrorism. He added Qatar does not allow anyone who supports terrorism on its soil. It also protects Qatari financial institutions from becoming a platform for funding terrorism.
The Foreign Minister said that the countries accusing Qatar of supporting terrorism were top of the list in that regard. He pointed out that there were financial institutions and citizens from those countries who were involved in financing terrorist organisations and terrorist attacks against Western countries and elsewhere. The Foreign Minister added that referring to international reports would show that Qatar was barely mentioned compared to the countries that imposed the siege on it.
On ties with Tehran, the Foreign Minister said that Iran was a neighbouring country to Qatar and all the GCC. He added that Qatar wants to have friendly ties with Iran in light of that and due to the fact that both share borders in terms of gas.
The Foreign Minister also said that these ties will be based on mutual respect, and avoiding intervention in internal affairs. He said that those principles were adopted by GCC leaders in the last two summits, which shows that it is the GCC's position rather than a unilateral move by Qatar.
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