Qatar stands firm on Mena

Qatar's Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor al-Thani yesterday reiterated that holding the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) economic summit, was an international commitment that had to be honored by the state. The Minister said MENA had nothing to do with normalization of relations with Israel. The conference, he hoped, would help the Middle East peace process.

He expressed conviction that the conference should not be cancelled because of Israel's participation, underlining that the conference had to been used to serve Arab countries' interests, not those of Israel.

Speaking at a press conference at the end of the GCC ministerial council meeting, which took place in Abha, Saudi Arabia over the last two days, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim said US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright didn't put pressure on any of the GCC members to attend the MENA conference, noting that each state has to make a sovereign decision on its attendance.

He said MENA was an international conference and Israel's participation in it was no different than the participation of any other state.

The minister said relations between Qatar and Israel were now frozen and there was nothing except a small Israeli trade office in Qatar. The opening of a Qatar trade office in Israel did not materialize as a protest against Israeli government policies, he said.