Rebuilding trust requires "a lot of time" after diplomatic rift: Qatari FM

Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-16 21:35:25|Editor: Zhou Xin
Video PlayerClose

DOHA, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said that it will take "a lot of time" to rebuild trust between gulf countries after the diplomatic rift, Qatar's state news agency QNA reported Wednesday.

The regional relations has been transformed by the dispute between Qatar and the Saudi-led Arab countries, which is entering its 11th week, Al Thani told reporters.

"Qatar has always been one of the founders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and we still consider that this has a great importance for all of us in the region," he said.

Unfortunately, the strategic security and trust on which GCC is built has been lost, and we need "a lot of time for the trust to rebuild," the minister noted.

The Qatari minister also expressed appreciation for the ongoing Kuwait-led diplomatic efforts, especially the letter sent by the Kuwait emir to encourage all relevant parties to engage in dialogue.

"Such crisis is not needed in our region. A region like the Gulf, which was considered the most stable region in the Arab world, is now destabilized because of a crisis without a solid foundation," Al Thani said.

On June 5, Saudi Arabia, along with its Arab allies including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Egypt and Yemen, severed diplomatic ties with Qatar as well as all air, land and sea links to the Arab Gulf state, a move that has sent shock waves across the Middle East and beyond.

The Saudi-led boycotting countries accuse Qatar of supporting terrorist, extremist and sectarian organizations, which Doha has repeatedly denied.

TOP STORIES
EDITOR’S CHOICE
MOST VIEWED
EXPLORE XINHUANET
010020070750000000000000011100001365312981