Qatar is reviewing its investments in Russia under the current situation and it is not thinking about increasing that these days, says Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani. 

 

“Our investment decisions are based on commercial assessment, until we see a better atmosphere and more political stability we are not thinking about increasing that these days,” he says in an interview with CNN’s Becky Anderson. 

 

Sheikh Mohammed was discussing the war in Ukraine, Qatar’s investments in Russia and his country’s mediation role in Russia, Ukraine, and Iran.

 

Against any act of aggression

“Qatar’s stand has been very, very clear, we are against any act of aggression or threatening of use of power or the use of power against the sovereign country or you know, trying to undermine the territorial integrity of any country,” he says.

 

Discussing the war in Ukraine, he says: “There is a deterioration in the humanitarian situation in Ukraine, which is unprecedented. So, I think that should be the priority. We should focus on having a ceasefire, humanitarian corridors, bringing the humanitarian assistance to Ukraine.”

 

When asked about Qatar’s mediation role in Russia and Ukraine, Sheikh Mohammed says Qatar will offer its help and support to both countries: “In order to find a common ground and to help to put an end for this humanitarian catastrophe, and we will never give up on our efforts.”

 

Mediation in Iran

Regarding Qatar’s mediation role in Iran, Al-Thani says: “We want to see an end for this JCPOA negotiation by bringing all the parties back to the JCPOA commitment.”

 

Sheikh Mohammed also expresses his views on the economic sanctions in Iran, on the IRGC, and on the Taliban’s decision to not permit girls over grade six from attending school.

 

On Qatar’s priority of helping the humanitarian situation in Ukraine, he says: “But our interest now and the priority is really to create some safe environment for the people for the civilians over there. There is a deterioration in the humanitarian situation in Ukraine, which is unprecedented. So I think that should be the priority. We should focus on having a ceasefire, humanitarian corridors, bringing the humanitarian assistance to Ukraine.”

 

Withdrawal from Russia

On whether Qatar is prepared to withdraw from Russia, he says: “Well, actually right now, with the current situation, we are not thinking about any new investments there, even, by the way in Europe, until we have some clarity on the stability of the situation.

 

“But you know, our decisions that we have took in the investment at that time was based on a commercial assessment and these investments are still ongoing.”

 

“For the current time, our investment decisions, as I told you, is based on commercial assessment and what we have currently in Russia, we are not thinking about increasing that these days until we see a better atmosphere and more political stability.”

 

Finding common ground

On Qatar’s mediation role in Russia and Ukraine, he says: “Our world is interconnected. So, whenever we see that we can offer our help and support for any efforts, we will not hesitate to make our offers. And this offer is extended to the Russians and to the Ukrainians in order to find a common ground and to help to put an end for this humanitarian catastrophe, and we will never give up on our efforts.”

 

Sheikh Mohammed says on Qatar’s mediation role in Iran: “Well, Iran is our neighbor and anything that happens or evolve over there definitely will affect us as Qatar but will affect also the GCC countries. US is our ally and we want to see an end for this JCPOA negotiation by bringing all the parties back to the JCPOA commitment because this is something we see is very important for the region and for the stability of the region and we don't want to see an arms race happening here. So we believe that the best way forward for them to get the parties back to the agreement.

 

“We are trying our best to use our contacts with Iran and with the US in order to bridge the gap between them and to reach and understanding. We are trying to help and to support the process, we are not effectively or officially a mediator, but we are trying to use our contacts with both countries in order to bring them closer.”

 

Economic sanctions

On economic sanctions in Iran, he says: “Regarding the economic sanctions, we as a small country, we never believed that economic sanctions or unilateral sanctions are effective tools to change policies. And this has been a very clear and principled position for us. So, economic sanctions normally affecting the people and punishing the people for policies of government, we don't see it as the right approach.

 

“So, we believe that economic sanctions need to be lifted and the country needs a relief because of the people, and this is this is the livelihood of the Iranian people, it's not punishing a government.”

 

On the IRGC, Sheikh Mohammed says: “The IRGC is part of the Iranian government or Iranian official military structure. We should respect their structure. We should really talk about the actions that are being taken by certain forces here and there and those actions if they are like in the bad interest of the region or specific countries or targeting, you know, civilians in any way those actions need to be terrorised, but not just terrorising an organisation because of because of specific action by a smaller group of them.”

 

On Taliban

On the Taliban’s decision to not permit girls over grade six from attending school, he says: “Well, definitely this decision was very disturbing and disappointing for us and we have expressed that publicly and we are going to express that very firmly with them when we are talking with them.

 

“We believe engagement will remain very important, to ensure that they revisit this decision and they allow back the girls back to school and we will keep the communication ongoing on that front.

 

“And we've been very firmly determined that they need to give all Afghans their rights of education, of going to workplace or practising their life freely.”-- TradeArabia News Service