Government

Doha: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani received a phone call on Friday from Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Sweden HE Maria Malmer Stenergard. During the call, the two sides discussed developments related to the military escalation in the region and its serious repercussions for regional and international security and stability, as well as ways to resolve all disputes through peaceful means. During the conversation, HE the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister stressed that the Iranian attack on Qatari territory constitutes a blatant violation of Qatar's national sovereignty, is inconsistent with the principles of good-neighborliness, and cannot be accepted under any justification or pretext. In this context, he noted that the State of Qatar has consistently sought to distance itself from regional conflicts and has worked to facilitate dialogue between Iran and the international community. However, he added that the renewed targeting of its territory does not reflect good faith and threatens the foundations of the understandings upon which bilateral relations between the two countries were built. His Excellency also stressed the need for an immediate halt to any escalatory actions, a return to the negotiating table, the prioritization of reason and wisdom, and efforts to contain the crisis in a way that preserves regional security. For her part, HE the Swedish Foreign Minister expressed her country's concern over developments in the region, calling for de-escalation, restraint, and a return to negotiations and diplomatic channels to avoid further instability.

General

Doha: CEO of the Qatar Media CorporationHE Sheikh Khalid bin Abdulaziz bin Jassim Al-Thani participated in the extraordinary meeting of the undersecretaries of ministries of information of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states, held on Friday via videoconferencing. The meeting discussed a number of important issues aimed at enhancing joint media action in light of the current regional circumstances. Discussions focused on formulating a unified Gulf media strategy to address the ongoing crisis, counter rumors and disinformation campaigns that could target the security and stability of GCC states, and strengthen coordination among official media institutions to convey a balanced and unified Gulf message. Participants also reviewed the agenda and technical topics scheduled to be submitted to the emergency meeting of Their Excellencies GCC ministers of information.

Government

Doha, Qatar: The Government Communications Office (GCO) has issued a public advisory warning residents against a fraudulent WhatsApp message currently being circulated across the country. In its statement, GCO said that there was a false WhatsApp message circulating and attributed to the Ministry of Interior includes a link claiming to be to provide information about shelter locations. It added that the Ministry of Interior has not issued any message regarding this matter, while advising people to refrain from accessing links from unofficial sources and to report any suspicious content or links to the relevant authorities. The GCO concluded its report by reminding the public to "rely solely on official sources and refrain from circulating rumours."