In a statement to Al Jazeera channel on the sidelines of his visit to Washington, the Foreign Minister said there is close co-operation between the US administration and the competent authorities in the State of Qatar to combat the financing of terrorism.
Responding to a question on Qatar’s role in combating terrorism, the minister said that the strategic partnership between Qatar and the United States is multifaceted, including the fight against terrorism.
There is co-operation between the two countries in the fight against terrorism, especially since Qatar is part of the international coalition to combat ISIS group, he added, pointing to the priority attached by Qatar to the fight against terrorism and its financing.
HE Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani also stressed the close co-operation between Qatar and the US on regional issues, “especially as we are undergoing a significant stage on the Syrian issue after the final results of the Astana consultations.”
He stressed that steps must be taken after the chemical attack by the Syrian regime and the American reaction.
On his visit to Washington, he said there have been consultations with the US Secretary of State and with the National Security Adviser on the Syrian issue and the proposals to move forward in resolving it, stressing the importance of a political solution to end the crisis.
As for the Astana agreement, he said it is a good one in terms of finding areas to reduce tension, but it must be clear that it is a step towards reaching a solution, and not the solution, and it should not be taken as a pretext for delaying the settlement of the crisis and delaying the political transition.
He stressed that there must be a clear message that the political transition is based on the Geneva 1 Communique, which ends with the departure of Bashar al-Assad and his regime, and the creation of a transitional authority. Otherwise, considering the safe areas as a compromise and postponing the aforesaid to a future stage will be an abuse of such an agreement.
