Kuwait Emir Urges Qatar Counterpart to Exercise Restraint Amid Diplomatic Row

Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah urged his Qatari counterpart Tamim Hamad al-Thani in a telephone conversation to refrain from actions that would escalate the crisis in the diplomatic ties with the Gulf states, the Kuwaiti emir's press service said in a statement.

CAIRO (Sputnik) — The news comes as Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt announced on Monday a break in diplomatic relations with Qatar, accusing Doha of supporting terrorist organizations and destabilizing the situation in the Middle East. The authorities of eastern Libya, Yemen, as well as the Maldives subsequently also announced the severance of relations with Qatar.

"His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah urged Qatari Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani to exercise self-restraint and refrain from steps that would escalate the situation. His Highness the Amir, in a phone call with the Qatari Amir, hoped Sheikh Tamim would give a chance to efforts aimed at 'containing tension in brotherly relations among brothers'," the statement published on Monday read.

The emir also reiterated the importance of boosting the joint actions of the Persian Gulf states to serve the "interests of the GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council] countries."

The Gulf Cooperation Council (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates) is the alliance of the Gulf state aimed at boosting cooperation in various spheres including security, social and cultural fields, environment, science and economy.