Qatar's Emir ready for talks to resolve crisis

Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani said that Doha is ready for dialogue to resolve a diplomatic crisis with neighboring Gulf countries so long as his country’s sovereignty is respected.
 
"The time has come for us to spare the people from the political differences between the governments," Sheikh Tamim said in a televised speech on Friday.

He said in his speech that Qatar is fighting terrorism relentlessly and without compromises, and the international community recognises this.
 
Sheikh Tamim said that the smear campaign against Qatar was premeditated. "It has become evident that this campaign and the steps that followed it had been planned well in advance. Its plotters and implementers carried out an attack on the sovereignty of Qatar by planting statements that had not been spoken, in order to mislead public opinion and the world and achieve predetermined goals," the emir stressed.
 
"The government with its various ministries and state institutions efficiently dealt with the crisis to cater to all the needs of the population. We are opening our economy to initiatives, investments, production of food, medicine and ultimately to diversify our sources of income," he stated.
 
The Emir said, "We are not afraid of identifying and correcting our error. This crisis has helped us identify and overcome the shortcomings and obstacles in determining Qatar's national, political, economic and independent identity."

Sheikh Tamim concluded by expressing his solidarity with the Palestinian people, especially people in Jerusalem and condemned the closure of the Al Aqsa Mosque.

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir stressed that there is no room for negotiations with Qatar to find a solution to the diplomatic crisis with the Gulf countries, demanding Doha to abide by its previous commitments. This came at a joint press conference held by al-Jubeir with his Italian counterpart Angelino Alfano in Rome.

Meanwhile, Egypt confirmed that the Qatari government was pursuing a policy of supporting terrorism that violated UN Security Council resolutions, and it was shameful that the 15-member council did not hold Qatar responsible.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey would do its best to resolve the problems among its brothers in the Gulf region as it prepares to visit Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar tomorrow. In a speech in Istanbul, Erdogan said political problems were temporary, calling on Saudi Arabia, the UAE and other Gulf states to invest in Turkey.