UAE Ambassador to New Delhi meets with Indian External Affair Minister.

UAE Ambassador to the Republic of India, Dr. Ahmed Abdul Rahman Al-Banna, today met with M.J. Akbar, Indian Minister of State for External Affairs, at the ministry's Headquarters in New Delhi.

Dr. Al-Banna explained the measures taken by the United Arab Emirates, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Bahrain, and the Arab Republic of Egypt against Qatar, stressing that the UAE is an integral part of the Gulf Cooperation Council, and thus its most important responsibility is to maintain the security and stability of the council's member states.

Dr. Al-Banna affirmed that the measures taken against Qatar were aimed at discouraging terrorism, harboring terrorists and interfering in the internal affairs of the Gulf States and other Arab countries. These measures came after all attempts to discourage Qatar from supporting terrorism, Islamic extremist groups, and the citizenship and protection of citizens of other countries.

He also explained the decision to sever diplomatic relations with Qatar, and the closure of all land, air and sea ports with them, which include preventing the entry and transit of Qatari nationals to the UAE for security reasons. He also justified the reasons of the decision.

The ambassador also explained that the decision of the UAE and other countries was not hasty, but came after many attempts and initiatives to discourage Qatar from all these subversive activities, including spreading and promoting the ideology of extremism and terrorism adopted by Qatar through supporting al-Qaeda and the Muslim Brotherhood, stressing that the brotherly Qatari people have nothing to do with what the ruling regime is doing.

He pointed out that Qatar today has an opportunity to support the choice of wisdom and reason and adopt a clear policy instead of the current confusion and interference in the affairs of others and the harboring of terrorism.