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Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on Thursday ruled out any possibility of the country鈥檚 withdrawal from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), reiterating Qatar鈥檚 commitment to Gulf security.
In comments published by Qatari daily Al-Sharq, the FM also said his country would not extradite Yusuf al-Qaradawi, head of the Doha-based International Union of Muslim Scholars, who is wanted by the Egyptian authorities.
鈥淗e is not a 鈥榯errorist鈥� but a political dissident with a point of view,鈥� Al Thani said. 鈥淲e have several such individuals from many countries, not just from Egypt.鈥�
鈥淚n Qatar,鈥� he added, 鈥渨e don鈥檛 allow them to carry out any political activities or to use Qatar as a platform for offending or attacking their countries.鈥�
He also noted that Qatar had not withdrawn its roughly $20 billion worth of investments in Egypt 鈥渂ecause these investments help the Egyptian people and contribute to job creation and economic growth鈥�.
鈥淨atar believes that if Egypt is strong it will have a positive impact on the Arab world,鈥� he added.
Al Thani went on to describe the GCC as 鈥渁n important source of stability in the region鈥�.
Qatar, he continued, 鈥渨ill remain committed to Gulf security despite the fact that the boycotting countries鈥� -- a reference to Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates -- 鈥渉ave put the GCC at risk by violating its founding principles鈥�.
He went on, however, to urge GCC member states 鈥渢o respect the sovereignty of fellow council members鈥�.
He also reiterated his country's readiness to hold dialogue -- without preconditions -- to discuss the demands of the countries arrayed against it.
鈥淏ut before dialogue, the blockade [on Qatar] must be lifted,鈥� he added.
In June, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE and Bahrain abruptly severed relations with Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorist groups in the region and cozying up to Iran.
The four countries also imposed an embargo on Qatar and presented it with a list of demands, including one for the closure of Doha-based broadcaster Al-Jazeera.
Qatar, for its part, vociferously denies allegations that it supports terrorism, describing moves to isolate it by its fellow GCC members as a violation of international law.
By Ahmed al-Masri in Doha
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr
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