12th July 2017
The State of Qatar and the United States
have announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on combating
terrorism financing.
At a joint press conference held in Doha
11th July with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, HE Foreign
Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said that the State of Qatar,
which was accused of financing terrorism, has become the first country to sign
with the U.S. a similar agreement aiming to combat terrorism financing.
The MoU comes within the framework of the
continuous bilateral cooperation between the State of Qatar and the U.S. and as
a result of the joint work between the two sides, the exchange of experience
and information and the development of this mechanism as well as the
development of institutions between countries, HE the minister added.
HE foreign minister called on the
countries, which imposed the siege on the State of Qatar to "join the
future" and sign the agreement to combat terrorism financing.
The MoU is a separate bilateral agreement
between the State of Qatar and the U.S., he said, adding that it has been
discussed by the two sides for four weeks and has no direct or indirect
connection to the Gulf crisis or the siege imposed on Qatar.
HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman
Al-Thani described the meetings he held with his U.S. counterpart as
"constructive" on the level of bilateral relations between the two
friendly countries. He pointed out that a tripartite meeting was also held with
the brothers in Kuwait, where they discussed the gulf crisis' developments and
the valued efforts of the brothers in the State of Kuwait with the help of the
friends in the U.S.
HE the foreign minister said that his
meeting with his U.S. counterpart also discussed, within the bilateral
framework, the importance of continuing cooperation and consultation between
the two countries in all regional and political issues, underlining that the
most significant outcome of these meetings was the signing of the MoU on
combating terrorism financing, of which the State of Qatar was accused by the
siege countries.
In a related context, HE the foreign
minister reiterated that the State of Qatar's support for the role of the
Kuwaiti mediator with the help of the U.S. "From the beginning, We were
positive and open to a constructive dialogue that leads to settlement and
resolution, which is the usual behavior of the State of Qatar," he said
calling the siege countries to take the same behavior.
On the leaking of the Riyadh Agreement
document yesterday, HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said that the
leaking and its timing indicate clear efforts to undermine the Kuwaiti
mediation and to influence the visit of HE the U.S. secretary of state to the
region as well as the efforts of the United States.
"If this leak reflects something,
then it reflects the approach of the siege countries, the same countries which
leaked the list of demands, sadly, to undermine this mediation," HE the
minister said, asking about the level of trust in these countries and their
international relations by leaking such secret documents, "which are
usually respected even by companies, let alone countries."
HE noted that the media campaign, about
Qatar's lack of commitment to the Riyadh Agreement is full of fallacies. He
said that the State of Qatar has complied with all the terms of the agreement
and that there were records attesting to its commitment to this, pointing out
that the Riyadh Agreement is a collective agreement and not an obligation on
the State of Qatar only. Qatar was not mentioned as a single country required
to comply with the agreement, he explained.
He stressed that the action taken by the
siege countries against the State of Qatar is a clear violation of this
agreement because they did not use any of the dispute resolution mechanisms
mentioned in this agreement. "Any complaints or objections should be
tackled according to mechanisms listed either in the Riyadh Agreement or the
Charter of the Gulf Cooperation Council," he said.
From his side, HE the US secretary of
state praised the wise leadership of HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad
Al-Thani for being the first to respond to the Riyadh summit on combating
terrorism financing. He stressed on all the region's states to combat extremism
and violence and to not have a safe haven for terrorism and terrorists.
In a press conference, HE the secretary
of state said the US and the State of Qatar will work further to stop terrorism
financing and maintain the region's safety, adding that the signing of the MoU
today reflects the hard work and extensive talks held between both sides to
reinforce the results of the Riyadh summit.
HE Secretary Tillerson added the MoU
specifies the steps each country will take to stop terrorism financing
globally, and sets a timeline for its implementation.
HE the secretary of state said the MoU
has been in operation for almost a year and is considered a renewal of the
talks of Riyadh's summit and US President Donald Trump's call for combating
terrorism financing. He stressed the MoU is a strong agreement on commitments
to take immediate action according to a set timeframe, confirming that the
State of Qatar has taken several steps in this regard and is implementing them.
HE the secretary of state highly praised
the talks he held with HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, which
touched on various topics, confirming that his visit to Doha holds the same
spirit President Trump had on his visit to Riyadh, where the US has one goal to
eradicate terrorism around the world and maintain its safety.
HE the secretary of state described his
discussions with the Qatari leadership as deep and constructive, noting that he
will head to Saudi Arabia to discuss their concerns and the options for
settling the crisis. He didn't predict a timeframe for these solutions due to
what he called ongoing attempts and current mediation.
HE the secretary of state confirmed the
purpose of this visit is to support the State of Kuwait's efforts in the Gulf
mediation, to help both parties understand the source of concern, and to find a
possible solution to their differences.
Embassy of the
State of Qatar
Colombo