KUWAIT CITY: Kuwait, the main mediator in a near-five month political crisis between Qatar and its Gulf neighbours led by Saudi Arabia, warned on Tuesday that the dispute could escalate.
Emir Sheikh Sabah al Ahmed al Sabah, in an address to parliament, also said that Kuwait’s goal was to save the Gulf Cooperation Council union from “cracking and collapsing”.
“Everyone should know that Kuwait’s mediation is based on a keen awareness that this crisis risks escalation,” Sheikh Al Sabah said.
The worsening of the breakdown between Doha and the Saudi-led bloc leaves Gulf states vulnerable to foreign interference, he warned.
“An escalation would be an explicit invitation for regional and international intervention, which would have serious consequences for the security of the Gulf nations and their people,” the Emir said.
Meanwhile, Bahrain said its diplomatic dispute with Qatar is not likely to last for long.
“I think that the issue we have with Qatar is not something of a long-term nature — the dispute is going to get solved sooner or later,” Zayed al Zayani, Bahraini Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism told a business conference in Riyadh. — Agencies
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