Qatar’s Ambassador to Serbia Sheikh Mubarak bin Fahad Al Thani said that the siege countries aimed at trying to impose the tutelage on Qatar and to put pressure on it till it responds to their dictates, but they were surprised by the steadfastness of the people of Qatar and their loyalty to their wise leadership as well as the measures taken by the government to preserve the country’s dignity and sovereignty.
The Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the Republic of Serbia, in an interview with (Diplomacy and Trade) magazine, said that the State of Qatar has proved in its actions that it does not support terrorism and does not tolerate the terrorists or their supporters, whatever they were.
Qatar supports the peaceful approach for resolving conflicts in the Middle East and all over the world he added.
“We call upon others to follow the example of Qatar in the fight against terrorism and to root out its sources. We also call on them to sign similar memoranda we have signed with the United States on combating terrorism before firing unfounded accusations,” he said.
Sheikh Mubarak renewed the call for dialogue instead of fabricating media reports that seek to demonize Qatar.
Responding to a question about economic motives behind the claim that Qatar is close to Iran, the Ambassador said that some countries in the region have relations with Tehran that outweigh Qatar’s relations with Iran. For example, the UAE has close economic ties with Iran, as trade volume between the two countries reached around USD 16 billion last year. The UAE also accounts for 90% of the trade volume between Iran and the Gulf countries combined, he added.
The Qatari Ambassador to Serbia explained that the relationship between the State of Qatar and Iran is characterized by realism and mutual interest that is punctuated by the principles of international relations and international law. These relations are not directed against any party in the region or outside it.
Responding to a question about the role of Al Jazeera Network as a global media outlet since its inception, Sheikh Mubarak said that Al Jazeera is a source of pride for Qatar as a free platform for opinion and strong support against the demand of its closure is a strong evidence of its leading role in the international media.
The Ambassador said that since the beginning of the current Gulf crisis, the State of Qatar has called for dialogue and supported the honest and sincere mediation of the Emir of Kuwait H H Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmed Al Jaber Al Sabah.
Regarding economic cooperation with Serbia, Sheikh Mubarak said that the agreement on economic, trade and technical cooperation and the agreement to protect and encourage mutual investments between the two countries provided a legal framework to enhance economic cooperation between them.
He expressed hope for the establishment of a platform for dialogue between businessmen in Doha and Belgrade through the establishment of a Serbian-Qatari Business Council and the promotion of cooperation between the chambers of commerce of the two countries.
