Minister of Foreign Affairs Adel Bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir affirmed that the measures taken in the Qatari crisis were sovereign and due to the policies adopted by the Qatari government with regard to supporting and financing terrorism, hosting people involved in terrorism, spreading hatred, incitement and interference in the affairs of other countries. He also stressed that the Kingdom spares no efforts to facilitate the arrival of pilgrims and Umrah performers as it rejects the politicization of Hajj rituals because of they are scared and duties for every Muslim. This came during a joint press conference held today in Manama with Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the United Arab Emirates, and Foreign Minister of Egypt Sameh Shukri adding that there were two agreements concluded in Riyadh in 2013 and 2014 and Qatar did not abide by them and continued its negative and aggressive policy towards the countries of the region, and imposed on us taking these actions for the interest of Qatar. He said, "We all are negatively affected when terrorism and extremism become stronger and when there is incitement or hatred speech. There are condemnations and clear international position regarding these actions, whether in UN resolutions, international conferences, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation or the Arab League. Regarding Iran's rapprochement with Qatar, Al-Jubeir said, "Any country that deals with Iran will have a negative result. The Iranians have caused destruction, killing and corruption. There is no country that has dealt with Iran and has fared well." "If our brothers in Qatar think they have an interest in their rapprochement with Iran, then they do not evaluate the matter as required. Qatar shoulders the responsibility of dealing with Iran, but we do not believe that the brotherly Qatari people accept that Iran has any role in Qatar." The Foreign Minister said that there is no negotiation over the 13 demands or the six principles that were issued in the Cairo Declaration, stressing that there is no negotiation over the demand to stop supporting and financing of terrorism; either there is support for terrorism or not, we cannot say for example that support for terrorism can be reduced, this is unacceptable." He stressed that the logic for us that we are ready to negotiate with Qatar over the application of the principles if Qatar is serious and committed, but it seems that Qatar is not committed. He said that the brothers in Qatar are talking about the suffering of the Qatari people, and this is not true, they are also talking about the blockade, but there is no blockade. Qatar's ports and airports are open and the airspaces are open, but we made a decision not to allow our airspace or borders to be used and this is our sovereign right. He added that "Qatar talks about everything but not about its stopping of supporting terrorism, its funding, incitement and hosting wanted persons and interference in the affairs of other countries, these matters that must be focused on and these things that we are ready to sit with the Qataris when they are ready to commit to them," stressing that the negotiation does not mean that there is a concession. the issues of terrorism and extremism and stopping of its funding are not compromises. On Qatar's claim of banning its citizens from Hajj this year, the Foreign Minister affirmed that the history of the Kingdom is clear with regard to facilitating the arrival of any visitor to the House of Allah, whether for Umrah or Hajj. The Kingdom is making great efforts in this regard and does not accept politicization of Hajj because they are sacred rituals and duties on every Muslim." He pointed out that the Kingdom encourages the arrival of every Muslim from anywhere in the world to visit the House of God, and we reject what Qatar is trying to do to politicize this matter and consider that it does not respect Hajj or pilgrims, stressing that brothers from Qatar are welcome to perform Hajj just like any person from any place in the world. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the UAE, and Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa also spoke at the joint press conference.
