Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmed Al Khalifa said on Thursday the signing of a final agreement between the Yemeni government and the Southern Transitional Council (STC) under the auspices of Saudi Arabia would be a “major leap forward concerning the future stability of Yemen, particularly following the important meetings held in this regard in Jeddah.”
In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Al Khalifa said, “Qatar is trying to prevent a solution in Yemen. We can see it through Doha’s positions announced in the media, broadcasted by Al Jazeera channel.”
He explained that Qatar always failed to enforce this role in Yemen facing the people’s will to stop all foreign interference, including Iran’s attempt to incite strife.
The Bahrain FM said that Qatar does not only play a negative role in Yemen, but also in Libya, Tunisia, Gulf States and Iraq.
“Everyone knows what we mean,” he said.
Commenting on weapons and explosive materials shipments from Tehran to Manama, Al Khalifa said, “The quantity of arms that Bahrain confiscated was sufficient to destroy half of the capital.”
He explained that Iran should send a message of peace and good neighborliness or else, Tehran should be held responsible for its actions in the region.
Al Khalifa said he considers the recent visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Saudi Arabia and the UAE as very important. “The visit shows that Riyadh and Abu Dhabi do not build relations with other countries governed by circumstances and that both states extend continuous bridges of friendship worldwide,” he said.
Al Khalifa condemned the Turkish cross-border infiltration in north Syria, and he asked Ankara to respect the Syrian sovereignty and territories.
“The comeback of Syria to the arms of the Arab League is left to Syria and AL states,” he said, adding that the Bahraini diplomatic presence in Damascus had not stopped during the past years.
Al Khalifa concluded by thanking Gulf States for their economic support to Bahrain.
