Doha / Information Office / March 26  

HE Secretary General of the Foreign Ministry Dr Ahmed bin Hassan Al Hammadi has said that the Gulf crisis is a political crisis between brothers and that it must be resolved through constructive dialogue, in accordance with the directives of HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.

Since the beginning of the crisis, HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani's position has been clear and unambiguous that the Gulf crisis must be addressed through a calm rhetoric and a sound logic in order to solve it in a decent manner, His Excellency said.

In an interview with the Diplomatic magazine to be published soon, he said His Highness has always maintained this firm position and firmly rejected any polemical arguments that lead to further aggravation of the situation. His Highness has repeatedly emphasized that what binds us with these countries are not only interests, or diplomatic exchanges, but brotherly and close relations, and we cannot inflict any abuse on brothers with whom we have ties and bonds, regardless of the abuses some in the siege countries have levelled against the State of Qatar or its people. We are sure that it does not represent the position or opinion of our brothers from the peoples of those States, but also may not represent the position of a number of officials in them. Our principle has been to face the bad with the good, as abuses only deepen crises and do not solve them.

He stressed that the principle of the State of Qatar in this is based on the fact that this crisis will find its way to a solution and will be overcome one day. And we will put an end to it. Therefore, we cannot and we will not accept ourselves to harm to those who share with us blood and ties. Qatar's foreign policy is based on well-established principles that promote stability, peace, security and natural relations between nations and peoples, His Excellency added.

HE the Secretary-General of the Foreign Ministry stressed the State of Qatar's keenness to maintain the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and will not give it up whatever the reasons, adding that the GCC reflects the hopes and aspirations of the peoples of the Gulf States, consolidates its unity and represents one of the most important pillars of Arab solidarity. It is also considered a GCC integration mechanism and encourages interdependence among its countries.

In the era of major blocs, we can only adhere to the GCC as an organization that reflects the will and interests of the peoples and governments of the region, he said. Based on this vision, the future of the GCC depends on our will as governments and peoples, he pointed out, adding that the GCC must improve its performance and work system mechanisms to become a true expression of the ambitions and aspirations of its countries and peoples.

 HE Dr Al Hammadi added that the current performance of the GCC is unsatisfactory and its performance during the crisis has not risen to the level of responsibility, but rather was and still is helpless.

However, this is not a sufficient reason to claim that GCC is not useful, but that the current state of disability is a reason for all to develop its work and structures, so that in the future to have the effective mechanisms and capable systems which enable it to prevent the occurrence of such crises, HE Dr Al Hammadi added.

HE the Secretary-General of the Foreign Ministry stressed during the interview the clarity of Qatar's position and the world's realization that what the siege states promote is simply unfounded accusations and allegations, and do not actually represent the essence of the crisis.

HE Dr Al Hammadi said that the world countries have shown a deep understanding of Qatar's position, and in some cases, clear support for the Qatari situation. After ten months of crisis, everything has been revealed and it has become clear to all, including those which, for different reasons, supported the siege states and a number of these states have reconsidered their position and are now less willing to continue to support the siege countries, HE Dr Al Hammadi added.

Regarding the damage caused to the citizens by the siege, HE Dr Al Hammadi said that most of the damage to Qatari citizens, has been inventoried and work in underway to complete the inventorying in addition to the legalization of these types of damages has been made and placed in a proper legal context that allows their owners to recover their rights in accordance with the Gulf and Arab agreements, or within the framework of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and based on the constants of international law. He noted that all the cases were developed according to their nature within the legal framework that enables the right holders to recover their rights and preserve their interests without any losses. He confirmed that all this has been accomplished and is supported by irrefutable documents and evidence by providing all the legal guarantees and justifications for which all rights are reserved without restriction in addition that all these procedures have been coordinated with international legal and advisory offices.

HE Dr Al Hammadi pointed out that it is inevitable to resort to the courts to preserve the rights of Qatari citizens. He stressed that the State of Qatar will resort to the various courts and international bodies involved in such cases, each depending on the nature of the case and its legal and procedural dimensions. He noted that the State of Qatar has taken the necessary legal measures in agreement with the most prominent legal institutions and with the leading international lawyers specialized in such cases, in accordance with the nature of the case and its circumstances. He said that the affected Qatari citizens can go directly to the concerned courts and raise cases that guarantee the return of their rights.

The interview also dealt with many topics related to the development of performance, diplomatic work and the status of Jerusalem.