Al-Jubeir says Arab states want Qatar to change its policies

CAIRO – 3 July 2017: Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said on Monday that the decision to cut diplomatic ties with Qatar took place because the tiny Gulf state “did not change its policies of financing terrorism,” during a joint press conference with his German counterpart.

Al-Jubeir blamed Qatar for advocating “hate speech” through its network Al-Jazeera. He said that Germany’s stance on the crisis has been stable, but there have been inaccurate interpretations of the situation.

“We just want it to change its policies,” Al-Jubeir added.

For his part, German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said he does not have the impression that Arab states are questioning Qatar’s sovereignty.

The talks tackled other regional issues, including vulnerable citizens in hot areas, where Gabriel stressed that aid channels must be provided for them. He expressed his state’s rejection to the division of Iraq. He added that stability in the region would be achieved through the unification of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

“We must reach a mechanism to combat extremism and terrorism in the region,” Gabriel said.