The UAE Minister For Foreign Affairs Has Made Some Strong Statements On Qatar In London

The UAE State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr Anwar Gargash has made statements on Qatar in London on Monday,

Speaking at the Royal Institute of International Affairs Chatham House in London, Gargash was speaking on the UAE’s stance on the GCC Crisis – titled “UAE View of the GCC Crisis: What Happened and What Happens Next?”. 

Gargash said Qatar has been supporting jihadist extremeism: “This is instead, first and foremost, about the support Qatar offered to the cause of jihadism across the Middle East, and for specific individuals and organisations, including some linked to Al Qaeda,” he said.

He explained that the UAE is looking for a long-term solution, not a prolonging of the crisis. 

“But we do have an issue of trust. Over the last two decades, bilateral pressure on Qatar has not yielded results.

However, he reiterated that the UAE would not escalate the matter past diplomatic measures 

“Diplomacy remains our only path. We said, early on, that we would not escalate beyond what we consider sovereign measures granted to us by international law. If we succeed in changing their behaviour, it will make all our futures safer.”