Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa questioned on Saturday Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani’s call for dialogue to resolve the Arab Gulf crisis.
He pointed out to the double standards in the call in that it was made by someone who had snubbed the recent Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit that was hosted by Riyadh a week ago.
“Qatar calls for dialogue and its emir does not attend the Riyadh summit,” tweeted Sheikh Khalid.
“It calls for mutual respect, while attacking our leaders and countries nonstop,” he added in reference to Doha’s media campaigns against Gulf unity.
“It calls against meddling in the internal affairs of others, while it has been ceaselessly conspiring against others,” continued the minister.
Sheikh Tamim had recently stated that Qatar’s stance had not changed from the Gulf crisis, adding that he is committed to dialogue to resolve it.
He made his remarks during the opening of the annual Doha Forum that is being held under the theme of policy-making.
He also called during his speech for ending the Arab boycott against his country.
Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates imposed in 2017 a diplomatic and economic boycott of Qatar over its support for terrorism.
UAE State Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr. Anwar Gargash interpreted Shiekh Tamim’s plea as a “desperate” attempt to introduce temporary solutions to the crisis without actually addressing its core problem.
It is clear that the Qatari regime is aware that its people realize that they are living in “unnatural” circumstances given the Arab boycott, he added.
This explains Sheikh Tamim’s call, he noted in a tweet.
“The regime’s desperate pleading to western capitals has not succeeded and it is an unconvincing policy,” Gargash remarked. “Despite this, Doha, with Turkish and Iranian protection, is still pursuing this path.”
Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said Saturday that Doha was still committed to the GCC, adding that his country was still counting on Kuwait and other regional powers to help resolve the Arab boycott.
