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| HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani holding talks with the Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari at the Emiri Diwan yesterday. They discussed bilateral relations and the latest developments in the region. The meeting was attended by HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Emiri Diwan Abdullah bin Hamad al-Attiyah |
Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari has underlined the importance of Qatar and the leading role it plays on the Arab and international levels. “The states are not measured according to their size and population but by their effects on politics”, said Zebari in a press conference here yesterday.
Voicing optimism at the progress of the Qatari-Iraqi relations, Zebari described as “very encouraging” the talks he held on Sunday with HE the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor al-Thani, stressing the “positive trend” concerning relations between the two countries.
Asked about his current visit to Qatar, the Iraqi Foreign Minister said, “We have conveyed a message to the brethren in the State of Qatar to revitalise bilateral relations”. He said that the beginning of next year would witness “a good and positive initiative on the part of the State of Qatar towards Iraq”.
Highlighting the common grounds in areas of energy, trade, investments and culture between the two countries, Zebari told reporters that Qatar would attend the celebrations of the Iraqi City of Najaf as a capital of Islamic culture.
Pointing out that Iraq has its own embassy in Qatar, Zebari called for opening an embassy of Qatar in Iraq since the situation in the country had stabilised.
The Iraqi foreign minister said that Tunisia, Egypt, Syria and Yemen were witnessing “real revolutions”, pointing out that his consultations in Doha dealt with the situation in Syria, especially the Arab League initiative.
He stressed the need to keep any solution to the Syrian crisis confined to the Arab framework, and away from the foreign and external interventions.
The Iraqi foreign minister however said “Military intervention is out of question.. No Turkey, no Europe or America .. but internationalisation vis-a-vis humanitarian and international human rights organisations and preventing violations, this is another matter”, Zebari told reporters.
Zebari stressed that the Arab initiative has rejected intervention. He added that all the Arab countries were of the opinion that military intervention in Syria would further complicate the situation.
Asked about prospects of a civil war in Syria, Zebari said, “Civil war does not come as per a decision but it is the outcome of practices” and emphasised that all countries would not want to see Syria slide into that direction because it will have implications on the region.
He denied the entry by any Iraqi armed groups into Syria and dismissed as baseless all Western press reports claiming that the Iraqi government provided funds to the Syrian government ranging between $5bn and $10bn.
The Iraqi foreign minister also denied reports that Iraq had provided Syria with oil or gas oil but he noted: “Our borders with Syria are open and there are tens of thousands of Iraqis working there”.
He stressed that the end of the year will see the exit of all US troops from Iraq and stressed that Iraq does not interfere in the affairs of other countries, and that he would not allow other countries to intervene in its affairs.