Qatar reaffirmed its readiness to work with the states of the Gulf Cooperation Council and international bodies to resolve the Gulf crisis through unconditional dialogue, respect for the sovereignty of the State of Qatar, and non-interference in its internal affairs, expressing its full support for the efforts of the Kuwaiti Amir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah to resolve the crisis.
This came in a statement made by HE the Permanent Representative of Qatar to the United Nations Ambassador Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif al-Thani at the virtual dialogue session organised by the Qatari Embassy in Washington, in cooperation with the Stimson Center for Research and Studies on "Qatar's perspective of global and regional security in an age of uncertainty."
HE the Ambassador indicated that Qatar has played a pivotal role in the GCC since its establishment on May 25, 1981, which contributed to strengthening regional security and stability in the Gulf region and securing vital energy supplies to the entire world.
She added that on the eve of May 23, 2017, the meaning of unity in the GCC countries was broken and the council was dismembered, through a managed crisis by committing a state-sponsored cybercrime against the website of the Qatar News Agency (QNA) and falsifying statements to the leadership of the State of Qatar. She stressed that the seriousness of this cyber attack lies in the fact that this crime is state-sponsored.
She pointed out that the attack took place days before the imposition of the illegal blockade on Qatar, which began on June 5, 2017, and its repercussions still undermine the security and stability of the region and the opportunities for regional cooperation to face common challenges. She added that the blockade also violates the human rights and fundamental freedoms of thousands of people in Qatar and other countries in the region.
The ambassador pointed out that despite all that, Qatar has confirmed on all occasions its willingness to work with the GCC states and other international bodies to resolve the current crisis through unconditional dialogue, respect for the sovereignty of Qatar, and non-interference in its internal affairs and expressed full support for the generous efforts of the Amir of Kuwait to resolve the crisis.
