Al-Jubeir says US has indispensable role in ensuring regional stability
LONDON: Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir has dismissed the diplomatic row with Qatar as a “non-issue,” saying that there were far more important problems to deal with in Iran, Syria and Yemen.
He made his remarks on Tuesday at a Chatham House conference in London.
Al-Jubeir called for Qatar to “take steps to stop undermining what we are trying to do,” adding that if the tiny state’s behavior changed, the Gulf region would be better place to tackle the threat of terrorism.
Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the UAE severed ties with Qatar in June in the worst diplomatic crisis to hit the region in years.
The minister rejected claims that the rift with Qatar could damage investment into the Kingdom. “I have no worries about investor confidence,” he said.
Commenting on the role of the US in the Gulf, Al-Jubeir said that the US was “indispensable” in ensuring the stability of the region, while adding that America can not carry the “burden” of maintaining order alone.
“You cannot cut defense spending in Europe and expect the US to increase defense spending,” he said.
He added that he supported US President Donald Trump’s concerns on Iran following the decision to not recertify the Iran nuclear deal.
Al-Jubeir’s comments come as the Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah warned on Tuesday that the dispute between Qatar and the Anti-Terror Quartet could escalate, AFP reported.
He said in an address to Kuwait’s Parliament on Tuesday that the country was working on preventing the Gulf Cooperation Council from “cracking and collapsing”, warning of the “serious consequences” any escalation of the rift would have on regional security.