JEDDAH: Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Khaled Al-Khalifa stressed in an interview with Russia Today TV on Thursday that the Anti-Terror Quartet (ATQ) countries were keen to preserve the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in its present form. He expressed hope that the crisis could be dealt with before the coming GCC summit in Kuwait.
He also told Russia Today that the Quartet countries had not blockaded or threatened Qatar, and that they were ready to sit with the country to discuss demands put forth by the ATQ.
Al-Khalifa denied any connection with the Qatari opposition group in London.
The foreign minister noted that the causes of the crisis, which only surfaced 100 days ago, began a long time ago and “We were patient with Qatari behavior for a long time and signed agreements which Doha did not respect.”
As for Kuwait’s mediation in the Qatar crisis, he confirmed that the “mediation is still there and we hope it succeeds, but we see some steps and intransigence by Qatar” which have prevented any progress.
Al-Khalifa stressed that there was no time limit for the end of the crisis because “the defense of our interests should not be restricted by time, even if the crisis continues for 10 years. What is important is to reach a real solution.”
Bahrain FM keen to preserve GCC in its present form
Bahrain FM keen to preserve GCC in its present form
US envoy calls for ceasefire deal in northeastern Syria to be maintained
- Tom Barrack, ambassador to Turkiye and special envoy for Syria, reiterates Washington’s support for Jan. 18 integration agreement between Syria’s government and Syrian Democratic Forces
LONDON: Tom Barrack, the US ambassador to Turkiye and special envoy for Syria, on Monday reiterated Washington’s desire to ensure the ceasefire agreement in northeastern Syria between Syria’s government and the Syrian Democratic Forces continues.
In a message posted on social media platform X, he wrote: “Productive phone call this evening with his excellency Masoud Barzani to discuss the situation in Syria and the importance of maintaining the ceasefire and ensuring humanitarian assistance to those in need, especially in Kobani.”
Barzani has been the leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party since 1979, and served as president of Kurdistan region between 2005 and 2017.
The current present, Nechirvan Barzani, previously welcomed a recent decree by the Syrian president, Ahmad Al-Sharaa, officially recognizing the Kurdish population as an integral part of the country.
Barrack reiterated Washington’s support for efforts to advance the Jan. 18 agreement between Syria’s government and the SDF to integrate the latter into state institutions. The SDF is a Kurdish-led faction led by Mazloum Abdi that operates in northeastern Syria and recently clashed with government forces.
On Saturday, the Syrian Arab News Agency reported that the Syrian Ministry of Defense had announced a 15-day extension of the ceasefire deal.
