Paris affirms backing for Amir Qatar mediation

PARIS, July 7, (Agencies): French President Emmanuel Macron stressed on Friday backing to His Highness the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah’s mediation to resolve the Gulf crisis.

Macron’s announcement came during a news conference with visiting Qatari Amir Sheikh Tamim Al Thani that was held after a meeting between them.

During the meeting, the two leaders discussed bilateral relations and several issues of common concern.

Macron said that Qatar is a key partner to achieve peace in several areas in the Middle East region and Africa.

He added that Qatar also was a leading country in measures taken to counter terrorism and extremism. Macron commended the depth of ties with Qatar in all fields.

Meanwhile, Sheikh Tamim said Qatar is exerting big efforts to achieve peace in the region, affirming the depth of ties between Qatar and France.

He noted that he and Macron focused on several issues of common concern, including the Gulf crisis, and the Palestinian and Syrian dossiers.

The bitter fight between Qatar and its Gulf neighbours took a new twist Friday as three Middle Eastern countries asked the UN’s top court to resolve a dispute with Doha over sovereign airspace.

Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates on Thursday requested the International Court of

Justice to quash a decision in Qatar’s favour, handed down by the UN’s global civil aviation body.

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) last week ruled it had the jurisdiction to determine a dispute brought by Qatar, accusing its neighbours of violating an agreement that regulates the free passage of passenger planes through foreign airspace.

The three countries now want the Haguebased court to nullify the ICAO’s ruling, saying its decision was “manifestly flawed and in violation of fundamental principles of due process and the right to be heard.”

“The ICAO council is not competent to adjudicate” the countries said in papers filed before the ICJ.

They sought a declaration that the ICAO’s decision is “null and void and without effect.”

Thursday’s filing is the latest salvo in the increasingly rancorous battle between Doha and its Gulf neighbours which erupted a year ago.

Then Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE and other allies severed ties with Qatar, accusing it of backing terrorism and Iran and imposed wide-ranging punitive measures including banning Qatari planes from their airspace.

In other measures Qatar’s only land border with Saudi Arabia was closed and Gulf states ordered Qataris to leave within 14 days as well as calling home their own citizens.

Doha last month dragged the UAE to the ICJ accusing Abu Dhabi of human rights “violations” and discrimination against Qataris, saying it was fostering a “climate of fear” among its citizens.

Abu Dhabi in return called on Qatar to stop “supporting terrorist groups and individuals” as it strongly denied the human rights abuse claims.

A ruling in that case could still take a few weeks or even months.

The ICJ — the UN’s highest legal body — was set up in 1946 to rule in disputes against states, but it can also give advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by other UN organs and specialised agencies.

All diplomatic efforts have so far proved fruitless in resolving the crisis which has rendered the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council practically obsolete.

The leader of Qatar said Friday that he had discussed buying an advanced air defence system from Russia with President Vladimir Putin, but that no decision had been taken.

News that Qatar might be on the verge of buying the S-400 missile system has alarmed the gas-rich Gulf state’s neighbour Saudi Arabia, which is reportedly lobbying hard to try to stop the acquisition.

French newspaper Le Monde reported last month that Saudi Arabia had even written to France warning that it might take military action if Qatar went ahead with the purchase.

“I don’t want to go into details,” Amir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani said at a press conference in Paris after talks with President Emmanuel Macron when asked about the issue.

“There is no agreement. It’s true that we discussed it, we talked about it.”