Qatar Reiterates Support for Palestine
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Chairman of the Consultative Assembly of Qatar voiced the Arab country’s strong support for the people of Palestine, stressing that Doha would never sacrifice the interests of Palestinians.
In a meeting with his Iranian counterpart on the sidelines of the 12th Plenary Meeting of the Asian Parliamentary Assembly (APA) in Antalya, Turkey, Ahmad bin Abdullah Al Mahmoud underlined that Qatar will never sacrifice the main interests of the Palestine.
The people of Palestine must decide their own fate, he said, adding that Qatar lends its whole-hearted support to Palestinians.
Al Mahmoud also hailed Iran for backing his country when Qatar was faced with an embargo.
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and the tiny country of Bahrain cut off diplomatic ties with Doha and imposed an air, land, and sea blockade on Qatar in June 2017, after officially accusing the country of “sponsoring terrorism.” Doha denies the allegation.
The quartet urged the Qatari government to comply with a list of demands that included severing ties with Iran and closing a Turkish military base in Qatar or face sanctions. Doha flatly rejected the demands and said it was being targeted because of the independent policies that it pursued.
For his part, Iran’s Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani highlighted Qatar’s positive role in the region and lauded the Arab nation for standing against the embargo and avoiding isolation by adopting appropriate tactics.
“We will always hold close consultations on major regional issues, and are also willing to boost economic relations with you,” Larijani told the Qatari official.
Heading a parliamentary delegation, Larijani is in Turkey’s Antalya for the 12th APA Plenary.
The assembly has been created as a forum to exchange views, ideas and experiences for developing common strategies and promoting peace in Asia and the world.
The APA is comprised of the Plenary, the Executive Council, Bureau of the Assembly, the Committees, and the Secretariat.
