Dubai: The UAE has said that Qatar’s response to the list of demands of the four boycotting countries was “irresponsible.”
The response was “shockingly naive, with weak arguments,” Dr. Anwar Mohammad Gargash, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, said in series of tweets late Friday.
Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt have cut diplomatic and transport ties with Qatar for supporting terrorism and having close ties with Iran. The minister said that Qatar’s response “has undermined the Kuwaiti mediation before it even took off.” He added that “no diplomatic efforts will succeed if Doha does not act reasonably.”
He stressed that “hiding behind the words of sovereignty and denial will only extend the Qatar crisis.”
“Those who followed Qatar’s response to the demands were shocked by Qatar’s denials and how it dealt carelessly with genuine concerns over the evils that have undermined security and stability and led to a real crisis.”
“The Qatari response lacks responsibility and objectivity and undermined Kuwaiti mediation efforts before they even took off. Its lack of seriousness came in line with the leaking of the list of demands in a boastful way.”
Gargash added: “The Qatari response attempted to neglect two decades of supporting chaos, financing extremism and inciting terrorism; how can we forget conspiracy and painful facts, and believe empty words?”
In Kuwait City, British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson urged the states to end their boycott.
Johnson met with his Kuwaiti counterpart Shaikh Sabah Khalid Al Sabah on Saturday and was scheduled to visit Qatar later in the day.
“What people need to see is de-escalation and progress towards tackling the funding of terrorism in the region, and progress toward an end to this blockade,” Johnson said, voicing support for Kuwait as a mediator in the crisis.
Johnson, who also held talks in Saudi Arabia on Friday, said it was “highly unlikely” that the current standoff would descend into military conflict.
“Everybody I have talked to said the opposite. No possibility of a military confrontation,” he said.
“The blockade is unwelcome and we hope there will be a de-escalation,” he added.
