SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Qatar’s foreign minister has called for a de-escalation of tension in the Gulf region and for dialogue between Arab countries and Iran, Al Jazeera reported on Wednesday.
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and non-Gulf state Egypt severed diplomatic, trade and travel ties with Qatar in mid-2017 over accusations that Doha it supports terrorism, charges which Qatar denies.
Qatar has repeatedly rejected the accusations as baseless while highlighting its readiness for dialogue.
Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said during a press conference with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Moscow that the Gulf crisis should be resolved by dialogue, respect for sovereignty and non-interference in the internal affairs of states, according to Al Jazeera.
Doha-based Al Jazeera cited Al-Thani as saying that talks to resolve the crisis were under way, with Saudi Arabia representing the other parties to the dispute. Riyadh said this month a solution was within reach.
He also stressed the importance of a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) united front, noting that Qatar views the issue of Gulf security as a priority and believes that an escalation is not in anyone’s interest.
“We will all emerge victorious from the crisis if we rebuild confidence in the GCC as a regional institution,” Al Jazeera quoted him as saying.
He added that talks to resolve the crisis were with Saudi Arabia which represented the blockading quartet.
