Four Arab countries boycotting Qatar are ready for dialogue to ease the dispute if Doha agrees to certain demands, Bahrain’s foreign minister said on Sunday after a meeting with his counterparts.
“The four countries are ready for dialogue with Qatar with the condition that it announces its sincere willingness to stop funding terrorism and extremism and its commitment to not interfere in other countries’ foreign affairs and respond to the 13 demands,” Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed al-Khalifa said. Qatar, on its part, vehemently denies these accusations and considers the demands as a breach of its sovereignty.
He was speaking at a televised news conference in Manama after meeting with his Saudi, Emirati and Egyptian counterparts to discuss the dispute.
Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubair warned that “any closer ties between Qatar and Iran would only invite more troubles for Qatar.”
He held the Qatari government responsible “for the consequences of these decisions.”
Emirati minister Abdullah bin Zayed insisted that the measures taken against Qatar conform to international laws, “however we seek to avoid negative impacts on the Qatari people.”
Both the Egyptian and Bahraini ministers denied reports on deployment of Egyptian troops in Bahrain, near Qatar.
The Saudi minister rejected Doha’s accusations that Riyadh is hampering Qataris who want to enter Saudi Arabia for pilgrimage.
He stated that all Muslims are welcome for pilgrimage and that Riyadh continues to facilitate the travel.
On June 5, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain cut diplomatic and economic ties with Qatar — the world’s largest exporter of liquefied natural gas — over allegations the emirate supported terrorist and had close ties to Shiite Iran, Saudi Arabia’s regional arch-rival.
The Saudi-led bloc recalled their ambassadors, ordered all Qataris to return home and banned Qatar from using their airspace.
Qatar has denied the allegations and accuses the bloc of imposing a “blockade” on the tiny emirate.
Qatar has also rejected the bloc’s demands — which include downgrading ties to Iran and closing both the Al-Jazeera news channel and a Turkish military base in the country — as a violation of its sovereignty.
Bahrain’s King Hamad on Saturday called for “the solidarity of all Arab countries in fighting terrorism and cutting off its financing… for the defense of our homelands” ahead of the meeting, which comes after the Saudi-led bloc held talks in Cairo earlier this month.
Kuwait is leading mediation efforts in the crisis, the worst to grip the region since the 1981 creation of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council.
Kuwait and Oman — GCC members along with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Qatar — have not joined the Qatar boycott.
Turkey and Iran have stepped in to provide fresh produce, poultry and dairy products to Qatar instead of Saudi Arabia and the UAE, with Oman providing alternative ports to those in the UAE.
The four Arab countries added 18 more groups and individuals they say are linked to Qatar to their terrorist lists last week.
