DOHA: The Foreign Minister H E Dr Khalid bin Mohamed Al Attiyah has denied reports that Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal has left Doha at the request of Qatar saying it is a rumour intended to force Doha to abandon its position supporting the Palestinian cause.
“Meshaal is a dear guest of Qatar and he is in fact at home,” said Al Attiyah, brushing off claims that the Hamas Politburo head had been asked to leave. There were also reports that he was set to relocate to Turkey. “Neither the Qatari authorities nor the brothers in Turkey have such a position. Khaled Meshaal is living in his country and with his relatives (Qatar),” said Al Attiyah.
The comments came in a response to a question during a joint press conference he held with his Venezuelan counterpart Delcy Rodriguez, the QNA reported yesterday.
“All these rumours are intended to pressure Qatar to give up, or change its position on the Palestinian issue, which is impossible because the Palestinian issue is at the heart of Qatar’s foreign policy principles,” said Al Attiyah.
In a reply to another query, the Foreign Minister said that “there is no rift between Qatar and Egypt,” but added that, “there are some differences in viewpoints on certain issues.” He lauded Saudi Arabia’s role in achieving rapprochement between the two parties and encouraging dialogue to bring viewpoints closer. “We are with the Egyptian people and we cherish all respect and appreciation to them,” Al Attiyah said, adding, “the well-being of Egypt is part of the well-being of the rest of the Arab world. This is the firm position of Qatar.”
Asked about the Qatari view on dealing with terrorism, especially in light of the recent events in France, Al Attiyah said everyone should be part of the fight against terrorism and renunciation of violence. “But we in Qatar always reaffirm that handling the phenomena of terrorism require examining the roots and causes,” said the Foreign Minister.
“We can’t counter terrorism unless we learn its root causes so that we can constantly and successfully handle it,” he added.
Al Attiyah said that the visit of President Nicolas Maduro to Doha will boost cooperation between Qatar and Venezuela.
The Emir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and President Maduro discussed bilateral relations, the Foreign Minister said, adding that the talks also highlighted Venezuela’s important status in South America.
The talks touched on Venezuela’s stance regarding Arab issues, particularly the Palestinian cause. The two countries have showed interest in enhancing cooperation in different areas, including investment, oil and gas, and agriculture, he added.
Rodriguez said the meetings succeeded in bringing views closer on several issues and both sides agreed to cooperate in different fields, particularly the energy sector.
Asked about Venezuela’s participation in the conference on terrorism the US has called, Rodriguez said, “Venezuela condemns all acts of violence and terrorism anywhere in the world, and we are ready to cooperate with any country to uproot terrorism and fight against the scourge.” She said Venezuela considers people affected by the Syrian crisis brothers and shares their predicament, adding that her country has diplomatic ties with the Syrian regime but that doesn’t change its stance on humanitarian issues.
The Peninsula
