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Al-Jubeir slams Qatar for distorting facts

June 03, 2019
Adel Al-Jubeir
Adel Al-Jubeir



RIYADH — In a volte-face, Qatar on Sunday said it rejected the final declaration of Arab and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summits organized in Makkah last week after endorsing the statement.

Reacting to Doha's U-turn, Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir slammed Qatar on Monday for distorting the facts, while the UAE accused Doha of "backtracking" on the summits' conclusions.

"Countries... during summits announce their positions and reservations in the meetings according to customs and not after the meetings," Al-Jubeir tweeted.

"Qatar had reservations today about two statements that reject Iranian interference in the affairs of the regional states, and the Arab summit’s statement confirmed the centrality of the Palestinian cause and the establishment of a Palestinian state in accordance with the borders of 67, with East Jerusalem as the capital. Everyone knows that Qatar’s distortion of the truth is not surprising," Al-Jubeir said on Twitter.

United Arab Emirates' minister of state for foreign affairs, Anwar Gargash, also criticized Doha for being "weak" under pressure.

"Seems to me that attendance and agreement in meetings and then backtracking on what was decided on is (a result of) pressure on the weak that lack sovereignty or have ill intentions or lack credibility, and it might be all these factors," he tweeted late Sunday.

Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid Al-Khalifa said the move reflected the weakness of Qatar’s relations with its neighbors.

“We have no interest in prolonging Qatar’s crisis, but it does not want a solution after it disagreed with its brothers, a matter that absolutely does not redound to the benefit of brotherly Qatari citizens who will remain an integral part of the Gulf’s society whose countries and people are linked by the unity of purpose and a shared destiny,” he said. — Agencies


June 03, 2019
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