Qatar has become stronger than ever, after a year of the siege imposed by some neighbouring countries, HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Affairs Dr Khalid bin Mohamed al-Attiyah has said.
Speaking at the Shangri-La Security Conference in Singapore, HE Dr al-Attiyah said the siege was aimed at weakening Qatar's economy and status in the world but it has failed, adding that the Qatari economy was booming and national products, including medicines and food, had significantly grown. "We were able to weather the storm and we came out of them stronger than ever."
The minister described the siege imposed on Qatar as unjust, illegitimate and a flagrant violation of international norms. He added that Qatar was able to survive it, thanks to new alliances.
On terrorism, he said: "The cancer of terrorism will spread and destroy every healthy cell on its way," adding that the Middle East has suffered from this malignant phenomenon for decades.
He stressed the importance of working to support and uphold the rule of law and maintain the values of human rights and freedom, noting that "these fundamental values unite us against our enemies".
With regard to the tensions between the United States and Iran, the minister said the US is too wise to engage in military intervention in Iran, stressing that it is much better to solve the problems at the negotiating table.
