‘Aware of India’s interest in Qatar’
NEWDELHI: UAE minister of state for foreign affairs Anwar Gargash on Thursday said that Qatar should either mend it ways or look for a life without being part of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and its common market.
The powerful minister, who is in India for regular bilateral consultations, said that New Delhi — which has robust defence and energy ties with Qatar — has nothing to worry about.
He said Qatar "which supports Islamists radical groups and terrorists" are hampering the interests of other countries in the region. Five Gulf nations — Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman — have snapped diplomatic ties with tiny but rich Qatar over a host of issues including the Gulf nation’s support for Muslim brotherhood.
Yemen and the India’s South Asian partner Maldives too joined the five Gulf nations, which Qatar had termed as a blockade.
Many analysts believe Qatar not agreeing to hegemony the of Saudi Arabia, the biggest country in the GCC, angered the others.
"We are not going to escalate the situation. But if Qatar is not ready to accept its mistake and mend ways, they will have to make a bed for themselves and lie on it,” he said.
When asked if the UAE wanted India to cut its gas import from Qatar, he said, "What India does with Qatar is its sovereign decision.”
He said his country understands Indian concerns over its economic interests in Qatar and large number of people working in the region. “We have assured the Indian leaders that we will take care of the interests of their workers,” he said.
Indian officials, however, refused to give a formal comment on his remarks.
“We have good ties with all countries in the Gulf region. As external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj had said earlier this is an internal matter of the GCC. We hope the issue is resolved soon,” sain an official on conditions of anonymity.
On being asked about terror attacks on India from Pakistani territory, the minister said the UAE has been very vocal against such attacks.
“We don't support mixing religion with politics and using terror for political objective, whether it is in Asia, Africa or anywhere in the world,” he added.