Bucharest: Qatar’s Ambassador to Romania H E Abdullah bin Nasser Al Humaidi said that the demands of the siege countries were rejected from the very first instant because they violate the sovereignty of the State of Qatar and violate the freedom of the media. They also contravene international law and do not aim at fighting terrorism. Rather, they adversely affect international efforts to fight it and dry its sources of funding, he said.
In an interview with Romanian magazine Strategic Pulse, the Ambassador stressed the need for the siege countries to recognise that dictates are rejected and the sovereignty of Qatar is a red line, adding that despite the unjust siege imposed on the State of Qatar, life in Qatar is going normally thanks to directives of Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and tireless work of all ministries and institutions to meet the needs of citizens and residents and various projects.
“What was most worrying was the impact of the blockade on the social fabric in the Gulf after families have been deprived of their right to move and their children from going to schools and universities. There is an international consensus on the impact of this unjust siege on the war on terror. Therefore, it is directly threatening the security and stability of the region.”
Responding to a question on the position of Qatar on solving the dispute through dialogue, he said that Qatar is open to dialogue to resolve the crisis within the Gulf bloc, and that is why it supported from the very beginning the mediation efforts of the Emir of Kuwait, H H Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah, hoping that his efforts will be successful.
In this regard, he recalled what H H the Emir said: “We are open to dialogue to resolve the outstanding problems. But any solution to the crisis must be based on two principles: first, the solution should be within the framework of respect for the sovereignty and will of each state. Secondly, it should not be in the form of orders by one party to another, but rather as mutual undertakings and joint commitments binding on all.”
He ruled out the exclusion of Qatar from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) as such decision requires the consensus of the GCC States, adding that Qatar is one of the founding countries of the GCC. “We still consider that this organisation is very important for all of us in this region,” he said.
The Ambassador pointed out that the GCC was built on the concept of strategic security and trust, but unfortunately this factor has recently been lost due to the crisis. “We in Qatar believe that restoring confidence among the GCC countries will take a long time because of this crisis. We hope that it will be restored.”
