Qatar rejects 13-point demands of Arab Gulf countries

According to Qatar's Foreign Minister, the 13-point demand that the Gulf and Arab countries put forward last week contained some points that could not be met because they were not true.

Middle East press reported that on June 30, Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani made a statement that his country rejected the 13-point demands of the Gulf and Arab countries but was willing to discuss legitimate issues.

Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. Photo: AFP

The statement by Abdulrahman al-Thani came even though the 10-day deadline for responding to whether or not to implement the 13-point demands of the Gulf and Arab countries has not yet expired. Foreign Minister Abdulrahman al-Thani stressed that Qatar is ready to negotiate on legitimate issues with Arab countries to end the crisis. However, he said that the 13-point demands that the Gulf and Arab countries put forward last week (June 22) contained some requirements that could not be met because they were not true.

“Qatar cannot cut off its links with the so-called Islamic State, al-Qaeda and Hezbollah in Lebanon because there are no links. Qatar cannot expel any members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards because there are none in Qatar. Qatar cannot stop doing something it has never done. The ultimatum is not intended to address the issues listed and this is something we will not do,” Foreign Minister Abdulrahman al-Thani stressed.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the UAE are considering further sanctions after July 3 if Qatar fails to meet the demands. These countries believe that Qatar supports terrorism and extremist groups, and interferes in the internal affairs of countries in the region, and have simultaneously severed diplomatic relations with Qatar.

However, Qatar has denied this. On June 22, the four Arab Gulf countries continued to make 13 demands for Qatar to respond within 10 days to consider negotiations and normalize relations or continue to increase pressure.

According to VOV