Ex-Qatari PM urges dialogue between Iran, GCC countries
Former Qatari Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani has called on Iran and the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states to engage in talks amid the resolution of the Qatar crisis and the upcoming inauguration of a new US administration.
In a series of tweets on Sunday, Hamad said that he had, during the escalation of tensions between Iran and the US under President Donald Trump, emphasized that the initiation of a Tehran-GCC dialogue could have “important consequences."
"Such a dialogue can end tensions in the region and strengthen trust between the parties," he added.
The remarks came days after Riyadh reached an agreement with Doha to end a three-year feud by reopening the Saudi airspace and land and sea borders to Qatar.
In 2017, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain severed diplomatic ties and transport links with Qatar.
The Saudi-led quartet accused Qatar of supporting terrorism, presented it with a list of demands and gave it an ultimatum to comply with them or face consequences.
Doha, however, denied terrorism charges and refused to meet the conditions laid out by the boycotting bloc, stressing that the country would not abandon its independent foreign policy.
The ex-Qatari premier said, "I believe that today, after the end of the tensions between the GCC countries and the arrival of the new administration in the White House, there is an opportunity for this dialogue, and I recommend that we take the opportunity and should not focus on the tensions between the United States and Iran, especially with the [Joe] Biden administration.”
"We should not hesitate to start such a dialogue, as it will help resolve the many tensions around us," he noted.
"We know that there are different views between us and Iran on many issues, but this should not prevent dialogue with Iran, because we also cooperate with countries with which we do not agree on many issues."
In May 2018, Trump pulled the US out of the nuclear deal, known as Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and reinstated the anti-Iran sanctions that had been lifted by the accord.
He also unleashed the so-called maximum pressure campaign, targeting the Iranian nation with the “toughest ever” restrictive measures.
However, Trump’s successor Biden has pledged to rejoin the JCPOA if Iran returns to compliance.
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