Qatar calls for Iran-Persian Gulf states dialogue; welcomes any initiative for regional peace

Qatar’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani has called for dialogue between Iran and Persian Gulf littoral states, saying Doha welcomes any initiative that would contribute to peace and stability in the region.

The top Qatari diplomat made the remarks during a joint press conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow on Wednesday.

“We are interested in holding and staying in dialogue with countries in the region and with Iran,” he said, adding that for Qatar safety issues in the region are a “priority.”

He called for a de-escalation of tension in the Persian Gulf and added that the crisis in the strategic region, which erupted after Saudi Arabia and a number of its allies severed ties with Doha, should be resolved diplomatically and sovereignty of states should be respected. 

The Persian Gulf crisis should be resolved through “dialogue, respect for sovereignty and non-interference in the internal affairs of states,” he said.

The Qatari foreign minister also said that his country embraced any initiatives for the establishment of peace in the region.

“We are aware of numerous diplomatic initiatives on behalf of friendly countries,” he said.

“In Qatar, we will welcome all the initiatives aimed at stabilizing the situation in the region” and those that “search for mutually beneficial solutions to stabilize the situation in the [Persian] Gulf,” he noted.

Back in June 2017, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt severed diplomatic and trade ties with Qatar, accusing Doha of meddling in regional affairs and supporting “terrorism.” They also imposed diplomatic, trade and travel embargo against Qatar.

Qatar has repeatedly condemned the decision as unjustified and the allegations as based on false claims and assumptions.

A number of regional and international attempts have been made in lifting the embargos against Qatar and resolving the row, but all to no avail.

Iran has backed talks and diplomacy as the viable solution to the persisting diplomatic row in the Persian Gulf, expressing hope that the reconciliation will contribute to the stability as well as the political and economic development of the regional nations.

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Iran’s support for talks between the parties to the Saudi-led Persian Gulf row over Qatar comes as Tehran has already unveiled an initiative aimed at establishing peace in the region.   

Iran’s peace initiative to promote security in the Persian Gulf, dubbed Hormuz Peace Endeavor (HOPE), was unveiled by President Hassan Rouhani during his speech at the UN General Assembly in September 2019. The Iranian president invited all regional countries to participate in the initiative.

Back in October, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif stressed the importance of implementing the HOPE initiative, and called for collective cooperation among neighbors to establish “inclusive dialogue and security networking” in the region.

Region needs collective efforts to establish inclusive dialogue, security networking: Iran FM

Iran’s Foreign Minister says the Persian Gulf region needs collective cooperation to establish inclusive dialogue and security networking.

“Security is contingent on a reliance on our own peoples and cooperation with our own neighbors. We need collective efforts by regional countries to establish inclusive dialogue and security networking in this region,” the Iranian foreign minister said  in an address to a virtual debate of the United Nations Security Council under the title “Maintenance of International Peace and Security: Comprehensive Review of the Situation in the Persian Gulf” on October 20.

“Otherwise, we will all be engulfed in turmoil for generations to come,” he added, warning that turmoil in the region “will be everyone’s turmoil.”

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