DOHA: The number of Egyptians in Qatar continues to grow reflecting the strong economic support Qatar has been giving to Egypt even after the military takeover in that country, Foreign Minister H E Dr Khalid Mohamed Al Attiyah has said.
“We continue to support Egypt and we still have Qatari deposits in the Egyptian economy. Additionally, we sent five mega shipments of gas to Egypt after President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi came to power as a gift to the Egyptian people and according to the directives of the Emir,” Al Attiyah said in an interview with the London-based Al Hayat daily published yesterday.
The comments came when asked about allegations that Qatar is supporting the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt.
“I signed an agreement with the (Egyptian) Minister of International Cooperation Faiza Abu Naja for development and investment in Egypt and they are still implementing this agreement. At that time Muslim Brotherhood was not in the scene. We are supporting Egypt because we believe that a strong Egypt will have a positive impact on the whole Arab world,” added Dr Al Attiyah.
Asked about allegations against former Egyptian president Mohamed Mursi of spying for Qatar, Dr Al Attiyah said, “If dealing with an Arab sister country is considered spying, then it is a disaster.”
About Egyptians who left Qatar last year, he said they decided to leave on their own. “But their families are still here and their children are in schools, and this is their home,” he said.
Dr Al Attiyah said that on the day Mursi was taken to prison, there were 130,000 Egyptians working in Qatar and their number has grown to 200,000 now. “This means that our relations are not affected”.
He said no government has accused Qatar of supporting terrorism until now because the international community is aware about Qatar’s principled stand.
“We always differentiate between allegations by some media establishments that have lost interest in Qatar and have become bankrupt. They are mixing business interests with political interests,” said Dr Al Attiyah.
On fighting Islamic State, he reiterated Qatar’s stand that air raids alone will not solve the problem. The solution lies in addressing the root causes.
He said what is happening in Syria is exactly what Qatar had warned of earlier. And what is going to happen next in Syria is the moral collapse of the international community due to the double standards being used for different crimes against humanity, he added.
The Peninsula
