The current Qatar crisis has worried world leaders and efforts are being made to settle the differences through dialogue. Russia has said the Riyadh Agreement signed in 2014 by six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC countries) forms a good basis for resolving the dispute.
The Russian position was conveyed through Leonid Slutsky, Chairman of Russian State Duma’s Foreign Affairs Committee. He was holding talks with the ambassadors of Bahrain and Egypt, the Charge d’affaires of Saudi Arabia and the First Secretary at the Embassy of the UAE in Moscow.
In the meeting, First Secretary at the UAE Embassy in Russia, Mohamed Al Mansouri, the Bahraini Ambassador to Russia, Ahmed Al Sahaati, the Egyptian Ambassador to Russia, Dr Mohammed Al Badri, and the Saudi Charge d’Affaires to Russia, Mohammed Al Shammari, explained the political efforts made by their countries to discourage Doha’s aggressive policies, and how lack of cooperation led to their decision to cut off diplomatic relations with Qatar to protect their national security and safety.
Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain severed diplomatic relations with Qatar on June 5, 2017.
The four diplomats also said the current phase required concerted efforts by all states to condemn and combat terrorism at the global level.
The Russian parliamentarian said that his country enjoys distinguished relations with the four countries and welcomes consultation with their leaders on various issues of mutual interest.
He expressed his full understanding of the four countries’ concerns and the reasons that led them to adopt such a decision. He also exhorted Qatar to sit at the dialogue table with its brothers to remove these fears and resolve the dispute peacefully between them.
Slutsky also suggested the exchange of information and lists between them and cooperation to fight terrorist groups and dry up their sources.
