Interview with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs by Al-Jazeera

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Al-Jazeera / Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani, welcome. Three years have passed since the blockade was imposed on Qatar. Do you know the cause of the problem, the essence of the problem?

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs:

Of course, if we look at the background of the blockade, we will find that the reasons behind it and the circumstances in which it began, we will find a campaign of misinformation against the State of Qatar and an attempt to invent reasons for the blockade and justify it to the Gulf public opinion in particular and global public opinion in general. The second stage started with the hacking of Qatar News Agency, followed by a misinformation campaign against the State of Qatar and a campaign to demonize it. To this day, we do not find clear reasons for imposing this blockade, especially that the relations linking the State of Qatar and the countries of the blockade in the period that preceded it were good and friendly. There was continuous cooperation and dialogue between all the concerned states except for the problem that was raised by the UAE though its request to hand over the wife of the Emirati opponent two months before the blockade, and we did not expect that such problem would take us to such situation.

Al-Jazeera / you say two months, but in reality, Prince Turki Al-Faisal, the former head of Saudi intelligence, who was also an ambassador in Washington and London, says that the problem is much older and goes back to twenty years in fact, and that there were many warnings to you during that period. He says that the cause of the crisis is attributed to the aspiration of the Qatari leadership to play a role in the region, according to what it calls “its interests”. What is your comment?

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs:

Of course, if the problem extends to twenty years as Prince Turki claimed in his interview, why wasn’t this problem solved during those twenty years when there were continuous dialogues and many statements from all Saudi officials about the depth of the relationship between the State of Qatar and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia? Just a few days before the blockade and the online attack, the Saudi foreign minister was on a visit to the State of Qatar and addressed the Qatari Ambassadors Conference. This reflected the depth of the relationship between Qatar and the Kingdom at that time. His Highness the Amir, Sheikh Tamim, came to power in 2013, and the problems began only a few months after that without even knowing the Amir’s policy with withdrawing the ambassadors or the crisis of 2014, which led to the so-called Riyadh agreement that they violated.

Al-Jazeera / Have you been fully committed to this agreement?

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs:

The State of Qatar was fully committed, and all the records of the Cooperation Council prove that. The commitment of the State of Qatar to the agreement and the violation of this agreement was clear from the measures that were taken by these countries, unfortunately. The Riyadh Agreement clearly provides for the settlement of any points of disagreement through a dispute settlement mechanism, and this mechanism was not used, so why then are they talking about respecting the Riyadh agreement that they did not respect in the first place?

Al-Jazeera / Regardless of the reasons, regardless of compliance or non-compliance with the Riyadh agreement, there is a reality now: three years of blockade, and there are many attempts to resolve this crisis, at least by the State of Kuwait. A Kuwaiti official came out more than once to say resolution is close, God willing. The latest of these statements was given two days ago in fact, when Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Sabah said that there is hope for resolving (what he called) Gulf differences. Is there anything new?

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs:

We hope that the resolution will be sooner than later. Of course, I would like at the outset to thank the State of Kuwait, led by His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad, for assuming this responsibility since the beginning of the crisis, despite his preoccupations. He shouldered this responsibility by himself and came and visited the State of Qatar and the blockading countries at that time in an attempt to defuse this crisis, and his mediation continues to this day. There are continuous attempts by the sisterly State of Kuwait, which the State of Qatar highly appreciates and always responds to positively and constructively. Unfortunately, there is no clear roadmap to resolve this crisis until now. There are positive initiatives that we are evaluating, but the practical steps have not actually taken shape, and we hope that there will be practical steps not only for our sake but also for the sake of the Gulf Cooperation Council as an institution, the sake of our peoples and the sake of the regional security that was adversely affected by this blockade.

Al-Jazeera: Since you have talked about visits, there is a visit that you have made personally two week ago on 21 May to Amman and Kuwait on 20 May 2020, during Conran pandemic at the time no one can out, except for very important matter. You took the plane and took the risk, and you went to send a message! There is a curiosity regarding this visit, please do not tell me it is a routine visit or a visit for bilateral relations?

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs: Of course the visit that I have made to Kuwait, it was for a response to a message from His Highness Sheikh Sabah related to the crisis, and we went with the Qatari response which is always in line with having a constructive dialogue based on the principles that respect the sovereignty and international law. Also constructive dialogue based principle of equality among nations. There are efforts, as I mentioned to you previously led by the State of Kuwait, and the United States is also working in this regard to solve the crisis, where the State of Qatar contribute on it, and consider it a positive and a constructive way. We hope that these efforts will be fruitful one day and lead us to a solution. Till today there is no response from the other party.

Al-Jazeera: I mean, is there an initiative on the table?

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs:

Yes, there is an initiative on the table, and there are positive atmospheres on this initiative, and we hope that this initiative will result in positive steps.

Al-Jazeera: With Saudi Arabia specifically, or with the Emirates, with who?

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs:

We talked on golf crisis within the framework of the Gulf Cooperation Council, and with cooperation of the United States, and this was always the framework of our conversation.

Al-Jazeera: This time you will be a conservative, but last time there were more than one attempt, can we know the number of the serious attempts that actually led to a real dialogue?




Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs:

There was a dialogue between us and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which I referred at the end of last year. This dialogue was observed by public opinion such a dialogue that achieved some accomplishments, but unfortunately it stopped, not by the State of Qatar, but from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, maybe the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has reasons for that, but for us the reason was not clear, because the dialogue started in a positive and constructive way and it suddenly stopped and we found escalating campaign. We hope that this time will not be a repeat such as previous times, and we also hope that there will be more seriousness in dealing with the initiatives laid on the table by the State of Kuwait and the support of United States.

Al-Jazeera: It is noticeable that you are the one who declare this attempt and the second party did not talk about it, and after that there was a tweet from Minister Anwar Gargash in which he says (this is another example where Qatar undermines the unity of Gulf States and wants incite disorder once again, while it talks about Saudi Arabia without talking about it us too?

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs:

The is not a question about undermining the unity, if we are talking about whoever the unity of Gulf Cooperation Council, we must talk about the blockading countries that have attacked the State of Qatar from the beginning, and imposed blockade on the State of Qatar, its people. In addition, blockading countries politicized its people against the State of Qatar, as well as politicizing all life aspects against State of Qatar, therefore his accusation is wrong, because the State of Qatar doesn’t separate. The dialogue atmospheres in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia were positive and might lead to dialogue and we proceed as we said from the beginning that the State of Qatar is open to dialogue, and whoever move towards us one step, then we move forward him ten steps, but it must be a serious and sincere step.




Al-Jazeera: Do you deal with all blockading countries by the same way?

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs: by the same way.

Al-Jazeera: Are you keen to restore relations with all countries?

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs: We are keen on the unity of the Gulf Cooperation Council regardless of what happened. Today everyone knows Golf crisis harm Gulf Cooperation Council and damaged it reputation, especially it reputation in front of its own people.

Al-Jazeera: Recently, there have been rumors that you will leave the GCC, Lulwa Al-Khater, spokesperson, said that this issue is not correct and has no basis, and Qatar is sticking to its member in the GCC. What is the origin of the rumors? Especially, there are some Parties saying it is a test balloon, from your side, you launched the rumor, the you keep silent for about fifteen days, then you denied it?

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs: We do not need a balloon test, we take our decisions and announce them, and therefore we talked about mobility, we speak with transparency before our people and in front of the whole world when there were positive attempts and atmosphere, we talked about these rumors, and there is a general popular frustration towards the GCC and towards the effectiveness of the GCC, but this does not mean that the leadership in the State of Qatar views the GCC only as a platform for meetings, but we have a future vision, on which the GCC was established by our parents and grandparents, today who launched this rumor? Let's see who has an interest in launching this? who has an interest in getting the State of Qatar out of the GCC system. If the State of Qatar wanted to get out of the GCC system, it would have gone out in the days when the GCC as a system did not respond to the attack that took place at that time, in two thousand and seventeen.

Al-Jazeera / Next year, the age of the GCC will be approximately forty years of age. In his horizon do you see its future? What we wait from this council, to transfer three of its boycotting members, and there are some kind of question about what it offers in the future?

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs: Of course there are many questions about the GCC and its effectiveness, but Qatar behave with responsibility, it will not be a reason to collapse the Council. On the contrary, we believe that we must take advantage of such challenges to strengthen this council. The State of Qatar, when it gave solutions from the beginning, did not search for its advantage. Today we live naturally without relations with these States, whether it is with Saudi Arabia or with the UAE or with Bahrain, and unfortunately we hear voices saying that this crisis does not concern us and we will live without Qatar. The issue is not living with you or without you, we are interconnected peoples. We should think about our people and their future, and how we will deal with the region and its challenges in the future. We haven’t thought only about ourselves or only in the interest of the State of Qatar, in particular we said that the Council unfortunately have no role, but we are thinking about the future and we looked for a solution, we said this solution should be strengthening the GCC’s solution, a solution confirms that there will no recurrence crisis, not only with Qatar but with any other member of the Council, there must be a civilized dialogue built upon it a strong civilized institution that can respond to the aspirations of our people in this region. The issue is not bidding, or blockade. One, two, fifty years like what unfortunately some officials from the blockading countries mentioned at that time, we say to them after a year or two, there are countries that are change, others developed, and others end or disappear, we must look at the issue with more responsible spirit.




Al-Jazeera / Well, if we want to look at this period in which there have been many developments before you talk about regional relations, let's go back to a point related specifically to the United States. In the Arab street, there is an impression that the region is ordering by America, especially the Gulf, and let us be more frank, including Qatar, and that if Washington says it is time to reconciled, we will reconcile. It is interesting here that Trump has two years calling for Gulf reconciliation, and calls on the blockade countries to take steps towards Qatar. Regardless of his reasons, we know that Trump is not embarrassed to say things as they are, to embarrass those who have offended. This is not his problem now, according to the latest words, according to ancient American newspapers. Trump is now striving to fix it for reasons related to the air embargo, for example, because there are planes now traveling over Iran, and this is in Iran's interest. He wants to stop this matter, that helped us to understand the equation here, the American’s role is challenging?

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs:

Of course, first of all there is no doubt that the United States has strategic relations with all the Gulf states, including the State of Qatar, which has a strong strategic relationship and cooperation with the United States in various levels, whether security, defense or economic levels, in energy in multiple fields. But that does not mean that the State of Qatar, and here I am talking only about the State of Qatar and I am not talking about the rest of the countries because I am not authorized to speak on their behalf, but the State of Qatar by virtue of this strategic relationship has discussions and dialogues with the United States, but these discussions do not compel us to follow the orders of the United States. We may agree with them on views regarding specific files and disagree with them on others, but the disagreement is in a civilized way and is solved in a civilized way, too. Claiming that if the United States wants to end the crisis it can end it and if it wants to ignite the crisis it can ignite it, I think if this theory is correct then there is a bigger question: what are the countries that only link their future, the future of their peoples, the future of their region and create a crisis with a neighboring country just by order of another State and solve it again by order of another State? I think the biggest question here is what are these countries that are willing to ignite a crisis with the State of Qatar just by a foreign order? I do not think the issue is so. The issue in particular is that the blockading countries have a fundamental dispute with the State of Qatar, as they want the State of Qatar to be a follower and be run according to the same political approach that they are adopting. We respect their political approach. Their point of view may be correct in some matters and may be wrong I others. Our view, as well, may be correct in some matters, and wrong in others, but we should respect each other. The State of Qatar will not be a follower to anyone and will not listen to anyone's dictates.

Al-Jazeera/ In a statement a month ago at a symposium with Johns Hopkins University, you said something remarkable, and enumerated reasons including the siege of Qatar and also touched on American relations and problems between America and Iran, and you enumerated the role of Turkey in the region, Libya and Yemen, all these things push or put the region on the brink of an explosion?

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs:

Correct, add the Corona Virus Crisis, which will also have social, economic and political impacts in the future.

Al-Jazeera/ When you talk about an explosion, does it mean that you are talking about weeks, months or what?

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs:

We cannot predict the period, but the region is experiencing this heat during all this period, which indicates- if there is no wisdom to find solutions to these problems- that an explosion will occur. Therefore, we are seeking to make the language of wisdom and reason prevail so that these crises be contained and resolved, and crises are resolved only through civilized dialogues. If we look throughout the history of all wars and military confrontations, the two sides always come out with a loss and agreements are reached on the basis of settlements and not on the basis that there is a winner and there is a loser. Today, we say we are all losers in all these crises in the region, all sides are losers, but when will there be a language of reason and Wisdom for us to understand that we have lost enough and must look to the future?

Al-Jazeera/ Let me ask you. A language of reason and wisdom versus this language of anger in social media, not only at the level of ordinary people, but also at the level of leaders, media professionals who got involved in, politicians and People from all spectra. There is anger and this unfortunately undermines the efforts sometimes and the language of reconciliation, the language of reason and wisdom that you are talking about?

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs:

Unfortunately, there is an abuse of the freedom space available today on social media platforms as we see it today. One of the main places for misusing such freedom is found in the Arab world, specifically in the Gulf, where social networking has been mobilized in a systematic campaign against the State of Qatar to demonize the State of Qatar and which, unfortunately, created hatred towards the State of Qatar by the blockading countries. They used this weapon to mobilize peoples and stir regional and international opinion against the State of Qatar.

Al-Jazeera/ But, to be just there are some Qatari tweets that use the same language?

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs:

Please, let me just finish, there were some Qatari replies but I would not say that these replies are correct or wrong and I would not say the Qatari is right and the other is wrong, all are wrong in stimulation the media and the social media in this way, but we should not forget that at the beginning of this campaign we noted many times”, do not involve the peoples in such campaign and do not involve the peoples in the hate speech,” but, unfortunately, we found laws that criminalize sympathy to Qatar and he who comes on the social media and calls for the reconciliation between us his end might be unfortunate. Unfortunately, we found tweets from the Emirate crossed the boundaries and excessively insulted women who were considered a redline to us, not only for our society but also the Gulf societies, the Arab and the International community in general, there are such attacks on women in this disrespectable manner and in such a way we didn’t see in the Gulf States before. We used to think that such matters will not emerge in the Gulf Countries in any day, unfortunately, we find that it is becoming less than normal.

Al-Jazeera:/ In your opinion, how can such anger and bitterness caused be contained when redlines are crossed in such a way,?

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister:

The responsibility comes from the leadership and the behavior comes from the leadership if the leadership enacts the behavior that deals with the issue with responsibility and freely, then all will behave is such a way, and if the leadership permits this, everyone will respond to it.




Al-Jazeera/ The media of all the parties is accused of leading a fierce campaign?

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs: The media is polarized, and unfortunately the situation we live in especially in the Gulf, is a situation of sharp polarization between different media but I would not say this because of Al-Jazeera, Al-Jazeera is part of this polarization, and when I compare Al-Jazeera with other channels in the region I would say, at least Al-Jazeera contributed in the Polarization but in a more professional way from others. Other channels report false news, they report false and distorted news and this role is a negative and destructive to our communities in the future.




Al-Jazeera/ I would like to conclude with a question, maybe it is personal. You had taken the responsibility of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs one and half years before this crisis started. I think, if I might say, you were thrown into deep water, did you think this crisis would last long i.e. the whole of this period?

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs:

When I was honored by HH. The Emir to take over the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the directives of HH were clear, that the priority for us relations wise, is to develop and enhance the Gulf relations and as this crisis has come suddenly and also by the creation of reasons, the extend of the period is a surprise to us but after three years if we talk, we would say we have been used to this pattern of behavior which is not excepted, we always expect anything and call for the wisdom to prevail, what always make me feel hurt after three years is the volume of polarization of our peoples in the region, it is something unbelievable, I cannot tolerate the moral downfall I see in the social media because of this crisis, this thing affects us, affects our future and the future of the coming generations.

Al-Jazeera: Thank you your excellency the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheik. Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al-Thani so much for this meeting and thank you our honorable viewers for follow up of Today’s meeting.