Dubai: Qatar’s way out of its crisis with the GCC is through the Gulf states, particularly Saudi Arabia, Dr Anwar Gargash, UAE State Minister for Foreign Affairs, said, reiterating a stance he has highlighted earlier.
“The cost of Qatar’s current policy is very high. Apart from its desperate movements and the paid-for praise, the options remain clear: Stop harming others or learn to accept your isolation,” Gargash posted on his Twitter account, where he has more than 672,000 followers.
His remarks came amid reports that Qatar was working on ensuring new mediation efforts in its stalemate with Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt.
The four countries on June 5 severed their diplomatic, trade and travel relations with Qatar accusing it of supporting extremists and funding terrorism.
The Quartet issued a list of 13 demands and asked Qatar to respond them, but Qatar has refused.
Kuwait has been trying to reconcile the two sides, but its mediation has so far not achieved any breakthrough or incremental change.
Other countries, such as the US, have tried to mediate, but without success.
Qatar has been engaged in a massive public relations drive to win international support and exert pressure on the Quartet.
Last month, the Quartet said Qatar was misusing international platforms to market the quarrel as a major crisis and insisted it should rectify its policies in order to reach a settlement.
“The Qataris are trying to market the crisis in the regional and international forums as a ‘major international crisis’ that should draw the attention of the world community,” the four countries said.
“Our view is this minor political crisis between our countries and Qatar should be solved within the context of the ongoing mediation by the Emir of Kuwait, His Highness Shaikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah, whose mediation efforts have been receiving full support and appreciation from the leaders of our countries. We still believe this mediation is the optimum channel to tackle the causes of this political crisis and its consequences.”
Last week, Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid Bin Ahmad Al Khalifa affirmed the solution to the crisis is in Qatar’s hands.
He said the four countries “have clear demands and Qatar must stop the damage and keep Bahrain, the Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt safe from any harm,” Shaikh Khalid said in Rabat, where he attended the meetings of the Joint Bahraini-Moroccan Committee.
Shaikh Khalid dismissed allegations made against the Quartet.
“The four countries are simply defending their sovereignty. They are not imposing a siege on Qatar but warding off [the] harm [Doha is trying to cause]. Qatar’s interference is known; the evidence exists and the signed agreements in 2013 and 2014 stand as proof,” he said.
The US administration is planning to send two envoys to the region in a new attempt to reconcile the two sides and subsequently hold a US-GCC summit in the Camp David.
