Anti-Qatar Measures Benefited Situation in Arab States – Bahrain Diplomat

DOHA (Sputnik) – The measures taken against Qatar by Arab countries have had a positive impact on the security situation in those countries and on the conflicts in the region, the Bahraini Foreign Ministry’s undersecretary of international affairs told Sputnik on Monday.

"We saw that the measures taken against Qatar had a positive impact on interior security in our countries, helped to calm down those regions of the Middle East where there is tension, and also helped to reduce the number of refugees going to Europe and other countries of the world," Shaikh Abdulla Al Khalifa said referring to the over-year-long blockade of Doha.

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He noted that Bahrain and its allies continued to adhere to the same demands directed at Qatar — to not interfere in the affairs of other states, to respect their sovereignty and to stop supporting terrorism.

The diplomat added that "the policy of Qatar, which continues to reject the demands of the Arab countries, does not contribute to the solution of the conflict."

Qatar has been under a diplomatic and economic blockade since June 2017, when Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates cut off diplomatic relations and communication with Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorism and interfering in their internal affairs.

Qatar has denied all allegations raised by the blockading nations and said that the economic sanctions violate trade rules.