Qatar called Saturday for a new regional alliance following the failure of the four-decade-old Gulf Cooperation Council to resolve an 18-month rift between the emirate and its neighbors.
Foreign Minister Mohammad bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said that the boycott imposed on the emirate by Saudi Arabia and its allies had irreparably damaged the existing six-nation structure.
“The regional alliance has been undermined by the crisis,” Sheikh Mohammad told policymakers at the two-day Doha Forum.
“Therefore the alliance that existed needs to be reshaped and redesigned to ensure future stability and security of the region.”
The minister said the GCC had “no teeth” to resolve any dispute.
“They have mechanisms in place and never trigger them because some countries believe they are non-binding.”
He said that despite the failings of the GCC, he still expected a regional solution.
Kuwait has been leading diplomatic efforts but has so far been unable to resolve the crisis.
The minister was speaking after Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, stayed away from the GCC’s annual summit in Riyadh last Sunday despite receiving an invitation from its Saudi hosts.
Source: AFP
