UAE Minister warns Qatar could remain isolated for years

A senior United Arab Emirates (UAE) official said on Monday Qatar’s powerful Arab neighbors could continue to isolate it “for years” if it did not change course in its policy of supporting extremists and jihadist groups.

Speaking to a small group of reporters in Paris, Anwar Gargash, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, said a list of grievances Arab nations had with Qatar would be completed in the next few days,and that Doha needed to move beyond its state of “denial.”

“The Kuwaiti mediation will be very useful and there will be demands coming. Qatar will realize that this is a new state of affairs and isolation can last years,” Gargash said. “If they want to be isolated because of their perverted view of what their political role is then let them be isolated.”

Qatar denies fomenting instability in the Middle East and funding terrorism. Gargash also urged Turkey, which has been supportive of Qatar, to remain balanced in the crisis and understand that it was in its interest to support Arab efforts.

On the other hand, Qatar ruled out the negotiation with countries that broke off ties two weeks ago as the diplomatic and economic boycott prevails, while the United Arab Emirates (UAE) suggested today that the isolation of Qatar might last years.

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said flatly that his country is under siege and there will not be negotiation to reestablish the ties broken off by Saudi Arab, UAE and Bahrain on June 5th with the pretext of being supporter of terrorism.

He said that no requests have been received from foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, UAE and Bahrain, following 14 days of the closure of land, air and sea borders, along with trade operations.

The worst crisis in the Persian Gulf for decades was triggered on June 5th when Saudi Arabia, UAE and Bahrain accused Qatar of supporting terrorism and sheltering leaders of extremist groups as the Muslim Brotherhood and the Islamist Palestinian movement Hamas.

Meanwhile, minister of State of UAE Anwar Gargash said that the measure to isolate Qatar might last years.