DUBAI The UAE, one of four Arab countries that have imposed sanctions on Qatar, said on Saturday that Doha needed to change its policies before a dialogue could take place.
Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt cut ties with Qatar and imposed an economic boycott last month, for Doha’s support to financing extremist groups and supporting terrorism.
UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Mohammad Gargash said a call for dialogue by Qatar’s Emir Shaikh Tamin Bin Hamad Al Thani was welcome, but this could only happen after Doha had made changes.
“Dialogue is necessary and needed but its backbone has to be revision,” Gargash said on his Twitter account.
He expressed disappointment with a speech by Shaikh Tamim on Friday, the first the emir had given since the start of the crisis.
“I had hoped that the speech of Shaikh Tamim would be an initiative for revision,” Gargash said.
