Creating peace in the Middle East should be the focus of countries throughout the region, Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani of Qatar told a gathering of ambassadors in Oslo, Norway, in August 2016.
“The fighting in Syria, Iraq, Libya and Yemen must come to an end because the longer the fighting, the greater the sacrifice of human capital and the more children who will be deprived of their right to an education,” the Qatari foreign minister said. “And the longer the fighting, the more likely that moderate young men and women will be radicalized and lured into the extremist camp as a result of their desperation and hopelessness. I think it is obvious to all of us that the importance of peace-making and reconciliation efforts in the Middle East has never been more critical than it is today.”
He spoke about the four pillars of Qatari foreign policy: consolidating international peace and security by encouraging peaceful resolutions of international disputes; supporting the right to self-determination; non-interference in the domestic affairs of other states; and cooperation with all nations that seek peace.
Qatar has played a role in solving regional conflicts among rival Lebanese factions and in Sudan. It has also worked to enhance peace in Libya. “In every mediation effort, we kept our doors open to all parties in the dispute in order to bring about a lasting peace,” he said.
Sources: Qatar News Agency, Qatar Tribune