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Qatar not complying with Riyadh agreement: official | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Qatar’s Foreign Minister Khalid bin Mohamed Al-Attiyah attends Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) meeting in Riyadh. (Reuters Photos)


Qatar's Foreign Minister Khalid bin Mohamed Al-Attiyah attends Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) meeting in Riyadh. (Reuters Photos)

Qatar’s Foreign Minister Khalid bin Mohamed Al-Attiyah attends Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) meeting in Riyadh. (Reuters Photos)

London, Asharq Al-Awsat—Qatar has refused to sign the final report compiled by the Gulf Cooperation Council’s (GCC) committee monitoring the implementation of the Riyadh agreement on ending the diplomatic dispute between Doha and other GCC member states, a senior Gulf diplomat told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat on the condition of anonymity, a senior Gulf diplomat said that Qatar is not serious about implementing the Riyadh agreement, which bans GCC states from supporting terror-related activities, interfering with the domestic affairs of other GCC states, or adopting foreign policies harmful to the interests of the other state members.

The agreement also included a ban on Qatari government granting citizenship to Bahraini nationals, and a call for “amending the conditions of those whose naturalization process had been suspended.”

The report was compiled by a technical committee consisting of representatives from the six GCC member states, and is expected to be discussed by the GCC ministerial council on August 30 in Jeddah.

Despite Doha’s claim that it has “done all that is required of it,” GCC foreign ministers insisted that the tiny state should back up its words with deeds, the official added.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity because he was not allowed to brief the media, a Bahraini official told Asharq Al-Awsat: “Up till [Tuesday evening] Qatar is continuing the process of naturalizing Bahraini nationals.”

Answering a question on whether the GCC will consider sanctions on Qatar, the official said: “No such sanctions have been discussed so far.” But he did not preclude the possibility of future steps so long as “Qatari breaches” continue.