When the Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, H E Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh Al Khulaifi, while speaking at the 5th Global Security Forum in Doha, said Qatar’s foreign policy has mediation at its core, he was highlighting a policy that has over the years served nations in the region and worldwide.
Qatar has been able to mediate in various international disputes, which has made it a pioneer in conflict resolution. Some of these mediation roles include the 2008 crisis in Lebanon, which saw Qatar broker peace between Beirut and Hezbollah. Others are the Doha Peace Agreement in Darfur, the release of Djiboutian prisoners of war in Eretria, the release of hostages in Syria and many more.
More recently, Qatar facilitated peace talks between the US and the Taliban, leading to a ceasefire and eventual US withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, Qatar continues to mediate the US and Iran dispute on the JCPOA and other notable disagreements. Therefore, the release of prisoners yesterday between the US and Iran, driven by Qatari mediation, further upholds the country’s commitment to peaceful and progressive diplomatic resolutions to disputes. US President Joe Biden thanked allies, including Qatar, for helping secure the release of the prisoners.
Five Americans landed in Doha yesterday after being released by Tehran, while the US, on the other hand, released five on their path in a high-profile prisoner exchange. The deal comes after months of indirect talks mediated by Qatar, which began in February last year. The prisoners – four men and a woman, were received by the Director of Protocol at MoFA H E, Ambassador Ibrahim Yousif Abdullah Fakhro, and the US Ambassador to Qatar H E Timmy Davis.
According to QNA, Dr. Al Khulaifi confirmed that besides that, as part of the implementation of the agreement, the Iranian frozen funds in the Republic of Korea were transferred to Doha accordingly. He added that Qatar will commence the activation of the humanitarian financial channel.
The minister said the agreement indicates Qatar’s status as a trusted international partner in mediation and a vindication of the confidence of all parties in Qatar’s neutrality and impartiality. It also represents a new success to be further added to the remarkable achievements of Qatari diplomacy in several regional and international files.
Dr. Al Khulaifi noted that Qatar hopes that fully implementing the agreement between the United States and Iran will lead to greater understanding, including a return to the joint and inclusive action plan and other long-standing disputes.
