UAE minister Gargash says Qatar must end neighbors’ fear of instability

The UAE’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said the best way for Qatar to exit its current crisis is to seriously work to end its neighbors’ fears of shaking their stability as sovereign states.

While talking to a group of editors at the end of his two-day visit to India, Gargash commented on demands to close Al-Jazeera television channel and said the Arabic speaking channel resembled a Brotherhood broadcasting station and therefore it represents a clear threat to peace.

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According to the UAE’s news agency WAM, Gargash reassured Indian officials that current developments in the region will not affect the Indian community in Gulf countries and will not affect India’s economic interests in these countries, adding that the four states, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt, do not intend to escalate tensions in the region.

During his visit, Gargash also addressed the threats posed by extremism coming from Qatar and said the four anti-terror countries are well-known for their solid principles which include not bullying a small country.

“Qatar is considered a small but rich state. It uses its financial resource to support terrorism. This shows that the crisis is not about a conflict between five Arab states as some are trying to show it,” he said.

Gargash said Qatar is a state that funds terrorism and noted that many of the terrorists whom Doha offers safe haven are blacklisted by the UN and the US.

He added that terrorism has become a global phenomenon and one cannot say that a city, whether in India, the US or Europe, is safe from the threats of international terrorism.

“We cannot be tolerant with opinions stating that a little terrorism or extremism can be accepted and lived with. Therefore, it’s important to work to end any (ambiguity) surrounding the decisive stance from terrorism and extremism,” he said.

Gargash also said that the Gulf Cooperation Council proved its prominent value to everyone, adding that it’s preferable for Qatar to remain part of the Gulf system after it returns to its senses.

source: Alarabiya