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QNA
Doha
Qatar is still committed to resolving the GCC crisis, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al Thani said on Saturday. He said this commitment is a result of Qatar's belief that there is a bigger threat in the region, which is terrorism.
In an interview with US TV network MSNBC, the foreign minister slammed the propaganda war against Qatar accusing it of terrorism financing without any evidence and basis.
"Qatar is a leader in countering terrorism and extremism and it hosts the central command headquarters for the global coalition. Qatar is a frontrunner in the fight against extremist ideologies. As part of it, Qatar has established schools to provide high-quality education to vulnerable societies in poor countries," the minister said, adding that Qatar provides education to seven million children in East Asia and Central Asia.
On the strength of bilateral ties between the US and Qatar, the foreign minister said Qatar has always been a strong partner and ally of the US in its fight against terror. This is evident from the fact that Qatar hosts between 11,000 and 12,000 American troops in Al Udeid airbase, from where the US carries out its missions against ISIS."The US has always expressed its appreciation for that partnership. Qatar also highly appreciates this partnership and is working with the US to develop the cooperation further," he said.
Talking about the siege, he said Qatar was getting support from the US for putting an end to it, including US President Donald Trump and members of his administration such as Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Secretary of Defence James Mattis, among others.
As to why the siege is still continuing, the minister said it was a result of the actions of Saudi Arabia and the UAE towards Qatar and the illegal measures they took against the country by shutting borders and separating families, besides leading an anti-Qatar propaganda campaign. The minister stressed, however, that Qatar was committed to reaching a resolution, because the country realises that terrorism is a bigger threat facing the region.
On ties between Qatar and Iran, the minister noted that Qatar has a unique relationship with Iran."Qatar is located between and shares borders with two big countries -- Saudi Arabia and Iran. There are concerns of Iran's increasing influence in the region. However, those fears must be addressed peacefully and that is what Qatar is encouraging other Gulf states to do," he said.

He added that this was also the decision taken during the GCC summit in 2016, pointing out that the decision taken in December 2016 was to engage in dialogue with Iran on the principle that the GCC will be one entity and Iran the other.
Addressing whether there was a sense that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was a threat to Qatar's future, Sheikh Mohammed said that there was a diversion in the policy of Saudi Arabia and the UAE from the GCC agreement which was the engagement in dialogue. There was also a sense of unpredictability when it comes to the policies of Saudi Arabia and UAE in the region, he said.
The Foreign Minister added that there was a lot of chaos and crises that occurred in the region, pointing out that Qatar was part of a bigger strategy now seen in Lebanon too.
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19/11/2017
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