Four Arab countries regret Qatar's "negative" response
The four Arab countries issued a statement announcing that Qatar's response to their 13 demands had been negative. The Saudi Foreign Minister stated that further practical steps would be taken against Qatar at the appropriate time.
The four Arab countries of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Bahrain issued a statement on Wednesday (July 5) stating that Qatar's response to their conditions was "negative."
The statement was issued after the ultimatum (which had previously been extended for 48 hours) to Qatar expired. Qatari officials had previously said that the conditions set by the four Arab countries amounted to a violation of the country's sovereignty.
According to Arab media reports, Qatar's response was presented by Mohammed Abdullah Saleh, Minister of State for Counselor in the Kuwaiti government, to the Saudi Foreign Minister on Tuesday evening (July 3).
Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir stated that Qatar's negative response would mean continued sanctions against the country.
Al-Jubeir: Iran is a sponsor of terrorism
Egypt and Saudi Arabia expressed hope that Qatar would reconsider its policy. The Saudi foreign minister added: "We will take further practical steps at the appropriate time."
The statement said that Qatar's response shows "insufficient understanding" of the current difficult situation in Doha.
Al-Jubeir once again emphasized the “desire” to sever ties between Qatar and Iran, calling the Islamic Republic “the number one sponsor of international terrorism.” Severing ties between Qatar and Iran is one of the 13 conditions set by the Arab countries.
The statement was read by Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry after consultations between the foreign ministers of the four Arab countries in Cairo.
On June 5, four Arab countries announced the severance of diplomatic relations with Qatar and imposed economic and trade sanctions on the country. Land, sea and air routes with Qatar were also closed.
Four Arab countries accuse Qatar of supporting terrorism. Qatar denies the accusation. All diplomatic efforts by the US, Germany and Türkiye have so far been fruitless.
During his recent trip to the Gulf countries, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel spoke of the difficulty of resolving the conflict in the short term and expressed concern about the continued tensions between Arab countries.
Source: DW
