Qatar And Us Discuss To Ties

Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and the visiting Commander of the US Central Command General (USCENTCOM) Joseph L. Votel on Sunday reviewed the strategic ties between the two countries, focusing on military cooperation.

Sheikh Tamim and the US delegation led by Votel discussed the joint US-Qatari anti-terror operations for supporting efforts to maintain security and stability in the region, the said Qatar News Agency. It added that Votel thanked the Amir for Qatar’s pivotal role in that respect.

The agency noted that the two sides also exchanged views on a host of regional and international issues of common concern.

Meanwhile, a non-profit rights group called on Sunday for an end to the “blockade” on Qatar, warning that the regional boycott against Doha has led to “forced separation” of families.

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“We demand the countries that imposed the embargo on Qatar reverse their June 5 decision, compensate the victims and allow students to complete the academic year,” Abdelmajid Mrari of the Brussels-based rights group AFD International told a press conference in Doha.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt on June 5 cut all ties with Doha, recalling their ambassadors and banning Qatar from using their airspace. They accuse Qatar of ties to Shiite Iran and of supporting Islamist extremism, allegations the emirate has consistently denied.

The four Arab states also ordered all Qataris to repatriate, including students, and closed the country’s only land border with Saudi Arabia.

Some rights groups have raised concerns that the measure could split mixed families.

“Mothers have told me that children have become frightened, overwhelmed watching the news, terrified that they are going to be taken away from their mother, which no child should undergo, when it is a distinct violation of children’s right to a childhood,” said Mairead Tagg, a psychologist with AFD International.

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“Childhood should not be characterised by terror, worry and separation, and forced separation from parents.”

Mogherini urges talks

European Union Foreign Affairs chief Federica Mogherini on Sunday called for swift direct talks to resolve the Gulf crisis between Qatar and its neighbours.

Mogherini’s call came after she met Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah and other officials and expressed EU support for Kuwait’s “relentless mediation efforts” in the dispute.

The Amir has been mediating to resolve the crisis after three Gulf states and Egypt cut ties with Qatar, accusing it of supporting extremist groups.

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Last month, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt severed diplomatic ties with Qatar and imposed economic sanctions, including the closure of its only land border.

Mogherini in a statement on Sunday called on “all the parties to enter into negotiations to agree clear principles and a roadmap for a swift resolution of the crisis”.

She said the EU was ready to support the process of negotiations and assist in the implementation of a plan for the resolution of the crisis, in particular in the area of counter-terrorism.

Elsewhere, a top official in the Arab bloc isolating Qatar says the Gulf state needs to change its policies as part of any direct negotiations to resolve the crisis.

Qatari Amir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani said late Friday that Qatar is prepared to talk with the four countries lined up against it, but that any resolution must respect its sovereignty and the terms cannot be dictated from outside.

United Arab Emirates Minister of State for Foreign Relations Anwar al-Gargash responded in a Twitter post late Saturday that dialogue is necessary, but that Qatar must review its policies since repeating its previous positions only “deepens the crisis.”

 

SOURCE : ARABTIMES

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