Solution to the crisis lies in Qatar’s hands: Minister

Manama : The solution to the nearly year-long crisis in the GCC lies in Qatar’s hands, affirmed Bahrain’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, yesterday. 

The four countries, Shaikh Khalid said, have clear demands. “Qatar must stop the damage and keep Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt safe from any harm,” the Minister told a press conference at the conclusion of the 4th Session of the Joint Bahraini-Moroccan Committee held in Morocco. 

Shaikh Khalid also dismissed the allegation of siege against Qatar saying, “the four countries were simply defending their sovereignty, not imposing a siege on the State of Qatar.” 

Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain cut ties with Qatar over allegations that it funds terrorism and destabilising the region. 

Announcing the decision, Saudi Arabia’s news agency, in a statement made earlier, said, “it was seeking to protect national security from the dangers of terrorism and extremism.”

Saudi Arabia accused Qatar in its statement of “adopting” groups, including the Muslim Brotherhood. 

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait and Qatar form a close regional alliance known as the Gulf Cooperation Council in 1981.  

“Qatar’s interventions are known,” the Shaikh Khalid told reporters claiming: “evidence exists and the signed agreements in 2013 and 2014 stand as proofs.” 

Shaikh Khalid told the press conference that he hopes that the State of Qatar would “fulfil its duty by returning and committing itself to the signed accords”.

For his part, Morocco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Nasser Bourita, said that his country’s position regarding the Qatari crisis has been clear from the beginning.

Bourita pointed out that the Moroccan-Gulf Summit has underlined this strategic depth in relations and said that Morocco was always concerned with what was happening in the Gulf and the GCC countries.