HE Mr. Ricardo Cabrisas, First Vice-President of the Republic of Cuba and Minister of Economy and Planning met last Thursday morning, October 5th, 2017, at the Council of Ministers with HE Mr. Rashid Mirza Al Mulla, Ambassador of the State of Qatar to Havana. They discussed the bilateral relations and how to foster and develop them, as well as matters of mutual interest.
The Ambassador spoke about the background of the Gulf crisis, which started more than three months ago. He said that the decision of the four siege countries (Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain) was a surprise to everybody, particularly because it happened a few weeks after the meeting of the Islamic countries with the American President in Riyadh, and no signs or indications of a potential crisis were shown.
The Ambassador explained that the beginning of the crisis was the crime of piracy to the site of the Qatar News Agency, and the misinformation conveyed by the media from these four countries in which fabricated statements were attributed to His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. The Ambassador emphasized that these fabrications are part of a malicious plan made by those countries’ leaders, which resulted in the imposition of land, sea and air blockade, and the boycott against the State of Qatar since last June 5th. He said that the State of Qatar has repeatedly tried to clarify the issue, but they refused to communicate with it. In fact, it turned out that it was intended to undermine the confidence in the State of Qatar, its leadership and legitimization.
The ambassador said that this action is unprecedented in the Gulf countries, that it may lead to the instability of the region’ as it has even reached the stage of threats to change the regime in Doha. Fortunately, the ambassador stressed, the result has been contrary to what they expected, as these events increased the confidence of the Qatari people in their government’s leadership; furthermore, it has unified the Qatari people.
He also said that the crisis has led to the violation of human rights in all the Gulf countries. The Gulf family is intertwined and these strict decisions have deprived families from communication and affected the situation of students and citizens working in other Gulf countries.
The Ambassador referred to the 13 demands submitted by the four countries to Qatar, which were then relinquished t to become the Six Principles, on the grounds that Qatar supports and finances terrorism. He put stress on Qatar’s huge interest in combating terrorism in all its forms. He said that their claims are not true, and there is a lack of consistency in their position on these demands, which are said to be illogical and unacceptable, as they affect the sovereignty and legitimacy of our State.
The ambassador also explained the Kuwaiti position and the role played by the Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Sabah in mediating in the crisis. He said that the four countries are working to thwart it in their attempts to show that it is the State of Qatar that is causing the failure of this mediation. However, Qatar is working to make this mediation a success, and it continues its efforts in coordination with the State of Kuwait to make the four countries accept to sit down for dialogue, so as to find solutions to the crisis.
The ambassador pointed out that the countries of the blockade are demanding the State of Qatar to sever its relations with Iran, even though they have relations with it, and said that Qatar has good relations with Iran and common economic interests.
The Ambassador explained to the First Vice-President of the Republic of Cuba that Qatar relies on the role of the international community and friend countries to exert pressure on these countries, to stop these policies and to condemn the threat of using force to change the regimes. Also, to urge the four countries to follow the wisdom and listen to the Kuwaiti mediation and sit at the dialogue table, and to call for lifting this illegal blockade. In this regard, the Ambassador compared the embargo that affects Qatar with the one Cuba had suffered for almost 60 years .
The First Vice-President of the Republic of Cuba, Mr. Cabrisas, on his side, thanked the Ambassador for having provided all the details related to the crisis. He said that the position of these countries is illegal and cannot be accepted. "We understand your situation perfectly. The world is undergoing a difficult and serious stage. There is a need for peace more than ever before." And he insisted, "You must not give up your legitimate rights and should continue to struggle." He promised to transfer the conversation to the authorities in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
He also referred to what his country has been suffering for more than six decades. He said Cuba has been isolated in the Latin American region, except from Mexico. The accusations against the Cuban regime were that they were exporting the Revolution to the countries of the area. He added "Our role is to support liberation movements and to defend ourselves, not to export the Revolution". He also said that the United States of America has placed Cuba on the list of countries that support terrorism, even though it has been a victim of it and not vice versa. The Vice-President praised Obama's role in the opening process that begun in 2014, and expressed regret that President Donald Trump has retracted this.
As for the bilateral relations, the two sides pointed to the good situation at various levels and in many fields. They said they are continuously witnessing progress and renewal in various aspects such as health, culture, education, economic, political and social fields. They both stressed that the path of these good relations between the two friend countries is the progress made in the health services agreement between Cuba and Qatar, which led to the establishment of Dukhan Hospital, one of the most important medical centers in the region.