The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt, which have been in a diplomatic standoff with Qatar since cutting off ties with the country in June, said they were open for a dialogue to resolve the matter. However, before the talks, Qatar must stop funding terrorism and not interfere with the foreign affairs of other countries, Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed al-Khalifa said, according to Reuters.
The foreign ministers of the four Arab nations met in Bahrain’s capital Manama on Sunday to discuss the matter. “We are ready to talk with Qatar on the implementation of the demands, on the implementation of the principles if Qatar is serious,” said Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir. “But it has been clear that it is not.”
Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said these were just stubborn and illegal policies from the countries that had imposed the economic blockade on it.
On June 5, the four Arab nations had severed diplomatic relations with Qatar, accusing it of backing terrorism. Other countries in the region had followed. United States President Donald Trump had initially praised Saudi’s move to isolate Qatar, but the US had later tried to mediate the crisis and signed an agreement with Qatar on measures the isolated Gulf nation can take to curb militancy from being funded from it soil.
The Saudi-led group had handed Qatar a list of demands, including cutting ties with Iran, handing over extremists and shutting down Al Jazeera. They had also demanded compensation and called for an end to Turkey’s military presence in Qatar.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!