Middle-east Arab News Opinion | Asharq Al-awsat

Arab Quartet Rejects Qatar’s Preconditions for Dialogue | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
Select Page
Media ID: 55382665
Caption:

US president Donald Trump listens as the emir of Kuwait Shiekh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah speaks during a joint news conference in the East Room of the White House on September 7, 2017. Jonathan Ernst / Reuters


Washington, Riyadh- The four anti-terror Arab States, including Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain and Egypt, rejected on Thursday that Qatar sets preconditions for a dialogue on the implementation of the 13 demands.

The Arab Quartet’s response came after Qatari Foreign Minister announced that his country rejects dialogue unless the four countries lift the boycott measures, which were taken to protect their interests legally and politically.

On Thursday, Kuwait’s Amir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah said from Washington that Qatar was ready to negotiate 13 demands set forth by the three Gulf countries and Egypt.

However, an anti-terror Quartet statement said later that the comments of Qatar’s foreign minister in setting preconditions for dialogue confirms Doha’s lack of seriousness in dialogue, combating and financing terrorism and interfering in the internal affairs of countries.

“The four countries declare that they appreciate the mediation of the Amir of Kuwait and his commendable efforts to restore the Qatari authority to the right path and his declaration that Qatar is willing to recognize the 13 demands and negotiate them. However, the four countries regret what was said by the Amir of Kuwait on the success of mediation in stopping military intervention; stressing that the military option has not been and will not be considered in any case, and that the crisis with Qatar is not only a Gulf dispute but with many of the Arab and Islamic countries, which announced their position on the Qatari interventions and support for terrorism, and many other countries in the world were unable to declare their position due to the Qatari penetration of their internal affairs, which made them fear the consequences, especially with the Qatari precedents in support of coups, and embracing and financing terrorism and extremist thought and hate speech,” their statement said.

The four countries also appreciated the position of US President Donald Trump in his firm assertion that the only way to resolve the crisis is the need to stop the support and financing of terrorism and his unwillingness to resolve the crisis unless this is achieved.

At a joint press conference with Trump at the Oval Office on Thursday, the Kuwaiti Amir said “It’s not in the interest of Qatar to remain outside the flock. Rather, it should join its brothers in the GCC.”

For his part, Trump called on GCC and Egyptian allies to focus on the commitments reached at that Saudi Arabia summit “to continue our joint efforts to drive out and defeat terrorists.”