Qatar firmly believes in the power of the GCC and remains open to dialogue to resolve the Gulf crisis, His Excellency the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani emphasized in a recent interview with Bloomberg.

He highlighted that there has been no progress or steps forward in the Gulf crisis despite expectations following from last month’s GCC Summit in Riyadh. However, Qatar welcomes discussions in this regard while moving ahead with its national agenda.

Qatar FM minister 'there is no sign of a breakthrough in the Gulf crisis' https://t.co/gksDYhTjQB #QatarNews pic.twitter.com/df11UcVXsV

— Qatar News (@qatarnews) January 24, 2019

HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs underlined that Qatar recognizes Turkey, Iran and Iraq as important parts of the region and fostering relations with them is as significant to Qatar as it is with any other country in the region.  

“Qatar needs to have positive and constructive relations with those countries and this is not because of the blockade but it is a part of Qatar's strategy to maintain its friendly relations with all countries in the region," HE Sheikh Mohamed noted, as reported by The Peninsula Qatar.

While there may be certain differences between Qatar and the said countries, Qatar values the support it has received from these countries in times of need, he said.

Highlighting the strategic ties between Qatar and Turkey, HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs said, “We stood next to each other during difficult times. When Turkey went through a difficult time Qatar stood for it, and when Qatar went through a difficult time Turkey stood for it, we have this strategy.”

He added that Qatar is facilitating Iraq’s stabilization in the Arab world and welcomes its contributions to the region.

As for Iran, HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs said, “Iran is a neighboring country at the end of the day, and Qatar shares gas fields with it,” adding that Qatar honors Iran’s support as it had opened its airspace to the people of Qatar when the siege countries had barred Qataris from using their airspace.

HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs expressed hope that the GCC countries would open doors to constructive discussions with Iran to address the issue of regional security which produces a direct or indirect impact on Qatar’s security.

Additionally, HE Sheikh Mohamed said, Qatar’s assurance to invest $500m in Lebanese government bonds reflects the country’s role as a catalyst in regional stability.

“Lebanon’s stability is our region’s stability and it is very important to us,” he is quoted to have said by Gulf Times.

Earlier this week, His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani had personally led the delegation to Beirut to attend the Arab Economic and Social Development Summit. Later, centered on his discussion with the Lebanese president, Qatar announced the $500m investment to bolster Lebanon’s economy.

“We took our decision both based on our assessment to stabilize Lebanon and also as an investment decision, this is a good investment,” HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs said. Adding that “We have trust and confidence in the economy and the people of Lebanon, and that they will stand and flourish again."

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Cover Image Credit: The Peninsula Qatar