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Qatar Row: Emir Ready for Gulf Crisis Dialogue with Conditions

Qatar Row: Emir Ready for Gulf Crisis Dialogue with Conditions
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So long as his country's sovereignty is respected, Qatar's ruler said Friday that the Gulf emirate is ready for dialogue to resolve a diplomatic crisis with a Saudi-led bloc.

Qatar Row: Emir Ready for Gulf Crisis Dialogue with Conditions

"We are open to dialogue to resolve the outstanding problems," so long as Qatar's "sovereignty is respected," Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani said in his first public comments since Saudi Arabia and its allies severed ties with gas-rich Qatar.

"Any settlement of the crisis must be based on two principles," he said in a televised speech.

Sheikh Tamim insisted that any deal "must not take effect in the form of diktats but rather through mutual commitments undertaken by all the parties."

"We are open to dialogue to find solutions to lingering problems within the framework of respect for the sovereignty and will of each state as mutual undertakings and joints commitments binding all," he said.

State media said ahead of the speech that the emir would address "the future orientation of Qatar in light of the current Gulf crisis."

On June 5, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt cut ties with Qatar accusing it of backing extremism and fostering ties with Iran. Doha denies the claim.

The emir said in his speech that Qatar was "fighting terrorism relentlessly and without compromises, and the international community recognizes this."

The crisis between the regional allies is the worst to hit the Gulf in decades. OPEC kingpin Saudi Arabia and its allies also imposed sanctions on Doha, including closing its only land border, refusing Qatar access to their airspace and ordering their citizens back from Qatar.

And on June 22, they went on to present the emirate with a list of 13 demands with which to comply to resolve the crisis.

Kuwait has been trying to mediate the crisis and several top Western diplomats have toured the region to try to defuse the row, including US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

Tillerson said Friday the US was satisfied with Qatar's efforts to implement an agreement aimed at combating terror financing, and urged Arab states to lift the "land blockade."

Tillerson shuttled between Gulf countries last week to convince them to help ease the worst regional dispute in years but left the region without any firm signs the feud would be resolved soon.

While in the Gulf, Tillerson signed an accord with Qatar on terrorism financing in a bid to ease the crisis, but Qatar's opponents said it fell short of addressing their concerns.

"They have been very aggressive in implementing that agreement, so I think we're satisfied with the effort they're putting forth," Tillerson said just before meeting with Omani Foreign Minister Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah at the State Department.

Tillerson said Qatar was willing to sit with the four countries to discuss their demands, but that it was important to Doha "that the sovereignty and dignity of all five countries be respected in those discussions."

In a move to counter the four states' accusations, Qatar has set rules for defining terrorism, freezing funding and terrorism financing and established national terrorism lists.

In one of the first positive signs from the four Arab states since they imposed the sanctions last month, the United Arab Emirates Friday welcomed Qatar's decision to amend its anti-terrorism laws.

The four states cut diplomatic, transport and commercial ties with Qatar on June 5, disrupting the import of food and other items and causing foreign banks to scale back business with Qatar. "I hope the four countries will consider as a sign of good faith lifting this land blockade which is really having the most, I think, negative effects on the Qatari people," Tillerson said.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team

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