Dubai/Doha: Qatar faces possible further sanctions by Arab states that have severed ties with Doha over links to terrorism, as a deadline to accept their demands expires on Sunday night.
Qatari Foreign Minister Shaikh Mohammad Bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani said the demands were made to be rejected, adding that the Arab ultimatum was aimed not at tackling terrorism but at curtailing his country’s sovereignty.
State news agency QNA reported that he would inform the ruler of mediator Kuwait, of Qatar’s response on Monday.
Shaikh Mohammad earlier told reporters in Rome that Doha remained ready to discuss the grievances of its Arab neighbours.
“This list of demands is made to be rejected. It’s not meant to be accepted or ... to be negotiated,” Shaikh Mohammad said.
“The state of Qatar instead of rejecting it as a principle, we are willing to engage in (dialogue), providing the proper conditions for further dialogue.” He added that no one had the right to issue an ultimatum to a sovereign country.
The feud erupted last month when Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt severed diplomatic and travel ties with Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorism and being an ally of regional foe Iran, charges that Doha denies.
The countries have threatened further sanctions against Qatar if it does not comply with their list of 13 demands presented to Doha through Kuwait 10 days ago.
The demands include closing a Turkish military base in Qatar and shutting the Al Jazeera pan-Arab television network, which Doha also rejected.
A State Department official said on Sunday that the United States encourages “all parties to exercise restraint to allow for productive diplomatic discussions. We are not going to get ahead of those discussions. We fully support Kuwaiti mediation.”
Qatar’s Gulf critics accuse Al Jazeera of being a platform for extremists and an agent of interference in their affairs.
The network has rejected the accusations and said it will maintain its editorial independence.
