Qatar has reiterated its readiness for dialogue to solve the GCC crisis and called on its citizens and media outlets to refrain from attacking “Gulf symbols”.
A statement by Qatar’s foreign ministry on Tuesday was in response to a call by the Kuwaiti emir, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, for all sides to de-escalate the ongoing Gulf crisis.
The statement said Doha “hailed the appeal” made by the Kuwaiti leader and did not seek to “escalate the situation”.
“In line with the approach laid down by HH the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani in his address to the people of Qatar on 21 July 2017, calls upon citizens, residents and all media in Qatar to avoid slipping into the abuse of Gulf symbols,” the statement read.
“Qatar has a strong belief in the fairness of its position in this crisis and its adherence to dialogue based on mutual respect, on the basis of its principles and values,” it added.
On Tuesday, the emir of Kuwait warned of the collapse of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) should the crisis with Qatar remain unresolved.
“Contrary to our wishes and hopes, the Gulf crisis has the potential of escalating; therefore, all of us must be fully aware of its potential consequences,” Sheikh Sabah said.
“Any escalation will bring with it an outright call for regional and international intervention, which will destroy the security of the Gulf and its people,” he added.
The GCC is a political and economic alliance of countries in the Arabian peninsula, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Three of those states, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain, have been part of a land, air, and sea blockade of Qatar since June this year.
