Regional alliances must be ‘reshaped’, Qatari FM says

By Ahmed Yousef

DOHA

Regional alliances must be “reshaped”, Qatari Foreign Minister Mohamed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said on the first day of the 18th Doha Forum, which kicked off Saturday in the Qatari capital.

Regarding the ongoing crisis in inter-Arab relations, the FM asserted: "This is a contrived crisis -- one based on lies, fake news and propaganda."

In June of last year, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain collectively severed ties with Doha and imposed a collective embargo on Qatar.

The Saudi-led axis accuses Doha of supporting terrorist groups in the region -- allegations Qatar vociferously denies.

"In recent months," Al Thani said, "we have seen a lot of stubbornness; there has been little dialogue among Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states."

He went on to describe GCC Secretary-General Abdullatif bin Rashid al-Zayani as "powerless", saying: “New management principles are needed".

Voicing appreciation for Kuwaiti mediation efforts, Al Thani insisted that dialogue was "key to achieving peace and stability in the Gulf region".

Organized by Qatar's Foreign Ministry, the two-day Doha Forum kicked off Saturday under the banner, "Shaping Policy in an Interconnected World".