Doha refuses to comply with demands of four Arab countries
By Ali Mustafayev
Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain that have cut ties with Qatar announced that they were ready for talks to tackle the dispute if Doha showed willingness to deal with their demands.
The foreign ministers of four Arab countries met in the Bahraini capital, Manama, to discuss the crisis that has raised tensions across the region. The meeting came as a continuation of the agreement in Cairo on July 5 to discuss the issue.
"The four countries are ready for dialogue with Qatar with the condition that it announces its sincere willingness to stop funding terrorism and extremism and its commitment to not interfere in other countries' foreign affairs and respond to the 13 demands," Bahrain's foreign minister, Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed al-Khalifa, said commenting on the meeting.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry asserted the conditional dialogue with Doha in light of the Cairo agreement, saying that the meeting did not cancel the 13 demands to Qatar.
The Saudi-led bloc cut ties with the Gulf state in early June, accusing it of backing militant groups and cosying up to Iran, allegations Doha denies. Diplomatic efforts led by Kuwait and backed by Western powers have failed to end the dispute, in which the four states have severed travel and communications with Qatar.
The list of demands, include the closing of Al Jazeera television, stopping the interference in neighbor countries’ affairs, cutting back diplomatic ties to Iran and severing all ties with the Muslim Brotherhood.
However, Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani dismissed the statement, saying that sanctions were violating international laws.
"There isn't a clear vision (from Manama's meeting), there is only a stubborn policy from the blockading countries and refusal to admit that these are illegal actions," Sheikh Mohammed told Al Jazeera."It's a continuation of a policy of intransigence."
Also, the state-run Saudi Press Agency stated that Qatar Airways can now use nine designated air corridors for emergencies under an agreement with the countries' aviation authorities.
One of the nine aviation corridors will be over the Mediterranean Sea and will be managed by Egypt's National Air Navigation Services Company, according to the SPA.
However, the Ministry of Transport of Qatar disproved this information and asked four countries not to disseminate false information, Reuters informs.
Also Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates announced that they recognize only Kuwait as a mediator in the diplomatic crisis with Qatar.
Apart from Kuwait, several other countries offered their services as mediators in the Qatar crisis. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan took a trip to the Gulf countries, looking for a way to settle the crisis, and US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson made a number of trips to the region with the same goal.
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