Qatar was able to overcome the siege in its early days and continue with its development projects, the Cabinet was told on Wednesday.
HE the Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani, who chaired the Cabinet's regular meeting at the Amiri Diwan, made the observation during a speech he delivered to mark the completion of one year since the unjust siege was imposed on Qatar.
After the meeting, HE the Minister of Justice and Acting Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Dr Hassan bin Lahdan al-Hassan al-Mohannadi gave the details of the day’s proceedings.
HE the Prime Minister stressed that “with the help of Allah, the sound guidance and wise directives of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, Qatar was able to overcome the siege in its early days, overcome its negative effects and continue development programmes and projects”, the official Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported. 
He highlighted the strength and robustness of the Qatari economy and how it was not affected by the siege. He also stressed the trust the international community has in the economy, as confirmed by the reports of international fiscal institutions and organisations. 
HE Sheikh Abdullah reiterated his appreciation for the wise stance of His Highness the Amir – both internal and external - in dealing with the Gulf crisis by resorting to dialogue “within the framework of the principles of international law governing international relations between States”, the report states.
“These principles are led by mutual equality and justice between countries, protecting their sovereignty and non-interference in internal affairs,” he added. 
Meanwhile, the Cabinet said facts proved the justice and fairness of Qatar's position and that the siege countries lacked any convincing argument or logic to impose their illegal siege, which in turn helped Qatar gain regional and international respect and support. 
The Cabinet praised the unity of the Qatari people in facing the siege, standing by the wise leadership and their absolute rejection of any prejudice to the sovereignty, dignity and independence of its decision. It also lauded residents for their solidarity with citizens in facing the siege. 
Further, the Cabinet reiterated its appreciation and support for the mediation efforts of Kuwait’s Amir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Jaber al-Sabah to resolve the crisis. It also expressed its thanks to all sisterly and friendly countries that support the Kuwaiti mediation. 
In another development, the Cabinet followed up on the Israeli occupation forces' “continued repressive and brutal practices against Palestinian citizens taking part in demonstrations and peaceful marches and the continued Israeli authorities' expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank”, QNA said.
The Cabinet reiterated its condemnation of the procedures and policies of Israel, and praised the efforts of Kuwait at the United Nations Security Council “to protect the Palestinian people using its strong Arab and Islamic voice in the Security Council to relay the Arab and Islamic stance towards the sufferings of the Palestinian people”. 
The Cabinet deeply regretted the veto used by the US against the draft resolution prepared by Kuwait, which impeded the issuance of an international resolution to protect the Palestinians.
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