Remarks of His Excellency Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar, during the press conference with His Excellency Mr. Antony Blinken, Secretary of State of the United States of America
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DOHA, Qatar — His Excellency Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani met in his office at the Amiri Diwan on October 13, 2023, with His Excellency Secretary of State of the United States of America Antony Blinken, who is visiting the country.
During the meeting, they discussed cooperation relations between the two countries and ways of supporting and developing them, in addition to discussing the latest developments in the Palestinian territories and Israel and ways to reduce escalation and protect civilians.
During the meeting, the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs affirmed the State of Qatar’s firm position in condemning all forms of targeting civilians as well as its endeavor, since the first day of the confrontations, to reduce escalation, release prisoners and communicate with various parties to ensure that the confrontations are contained, and its scope does not expand regionally.
His Excellency pointed to the need to strengthen joint action between the State of Qatar, the United States, and the active partners in order to calm the situation, reduce the escalation, spare civilians the consequences of the fighting, and provide them with full protection in accordance with international law and international humanitarian law.
His Excellency warned of the danger of adopting a policy of collective punishment including calls to depopulate the northern Gaza Strip, stressing that forcing civilians to displace or take refuge in neighboring countries is a violation of international laws and norms and would exacerbate the effects of the confrontations and double the suffering of the Palestinian people.
His Excellency also stressed that the only guarantee to achieve sustainable peace in the region is finding a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue, ensuring the restoration of the Palestinian people’s rights and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Here’s the Qatari leader’s statement:
“I am pleased to welcome my colleague His Excellency Mr. Antony Blinken, Secretary of State of the United States of America, to Doha.
“We meet today under critical and unfortunate circumstances, with the continuing escalations occurring in the Occupied Palestinian Territories of Gaza and Israel. We are all following these developments with great sadness and concern.
“My colleague and I engaged in frank and in-depth discussions on the matter, exploring both political and humanitarian dimensions of this crisis.
“During our discussion, I reiterated Qatar’s firm position in condemning all forms of targeting civilians. I would like to stress that the killing of innocent civilians, especially children and women, and the practice of collective punishment policies, are unacceptable under any circumstance. These condemnations should be directed at all parties concerned on an equal basis.
“From the very first day of the outbreak of escalation of the confrontation, Qatar has sought to de-escalate the situation towards, achieve a complete cessation of hostilities, stop the bloodshed, and spare the region from the risk of slipping into an expansion of violence. The people of this region are exhausted by ongoing wars and conflicts, and suffer the consequences of such events.
“Qatar’s diplomatic priorities are to achieve an immediate ceasefire, protect civilians, ensure the release of prisoners, and work towards limiting the expansion of violence and the cycle of conflict in the region, which will inevitably result in serious consequences.
“We also exchanged views on ways to open humanitarian corridors to ensure access of humanitarian relief and assistance to our Palestinian brothers who are trapped by the constant bombardments, especially in light of the deteriorating situation in the Gaza Strip. In this regard, we note the tragic situation that we are witnessing in Gaza, including the shortages of basic materials and power outages due to the shelling of the Strip.
“I am certain that we are all aware we are facing a difficult reality and a stage that requires concerted efforts and endeavors. Therefore, we stress the need to strengthen our efforts with fellow allies and partners, especially the United States of America, in order to calm the situation and spare civilians the consequences of such confrontations.
“We are convinced that the only way to reach a peaceful and immediate solution to this crisis is to keep all channels of communication open with all concerned parties, and that solving this crisis requires continuous and intensive cooperation. We also appreciate all ongoing regional, international and UN efforts towards de-escalating the crisis.
“The State of Qatar firmly believes in the importance of mediation and dialogue and considers this an integral part of our foreign policy.
“The State of Qatar has always sought to keep channels of communication open with various parties in various arenas of conflict, which has contributed to consolidating Qatar’s international position as a reliable partner in peacemaking.
“We must stress here that Qatar’s commitment to its role as a partner in peacemaking and as a mediator in resolving disputes should not be exploited with accusations that aim to harm the reputation of my country, which have been proven to be false reflecting the bad faith of their distributors.
“We also stress that the absence of a just solution to the Palestinian issue will always accompany the absence of peace in this region. Accordingly, the international community should strive towards achieving a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue, within the framework of the Arab initiative, which guarantees the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, and that the Palestinian brothers obtain their legitimate rights once and for all.
“We look forward to continuing to work with our US partners in our efforts to de-escalate the situation in the Occupied Palestinian territories and Israel, and to strengthen the security and stability of the region.” (/)