Quartet blasts Qatar

Geneva : Qatar is trying to market the dispute with its neighbours as an international crisis  at various forums to draw the attention of the international community, the Arab Quartet said in a joint statement yesterday.

The statement of Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Egypt was in response to a speech made by the Qatar’s foreign minister at the 37th Session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), which they said, contained many falsehoods.

Describing the statements of Qatari foreign minister as “fallacies” aimed at portraying the dispute as a “major international crisis”, the four countries said that Qatar continues to support extremist and terrorist ideologies, and spreads hatred and incitement.

“The present political crisis should be solved through the on-going mediation by the Emir of Kuwait, His Highness Shaikh Sabah Al Ahmed Al Jaber Al Sabah. The efforts of Al Sabah have been receiving full support and appreciation from the leaders of our countries. We still believe this mediation is the optimum channel to tackle the causes of this political crisis and its consequences,” they said.

“Our countries have replied to the report compiled by the UN Commission for Human Rights on the invitation by Qatar and a detailed statement was presented to the UN Commission. Our countries expressed their point of view on the report through a joint press statement issued by the four boycotting countries. Qatar should choose either to be a state that believes in the principle of good neighbourliness and seeks to build positive relations with its neighbouring countries like others of the civilised world or to continue to breach the international law and other regional and international conventions to counter terrorism, and funding and supporting terrorism. Qatar cannot do this and take the opposite direction at the same time,” the statement said.

“The four countries would like to confirm Qatar’s role in supporting extremist and terrorist ideologies and spreading the message of hatred and incitement of violence through media platforms. Our countries want Qatar to change its behaviour of supporting terrorist organisations and immediately end its funding of these organisations. Through this international platform, we ask Qatar not to make Doha a haven for individuals promoting terrorist acts,” the statement said.