Qatar mediation 'pivotal' to ending region's crises, says Emir Sheikh Tamim

Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani stressed on Wednesday his country's "pivotal" role in mediation and reaching solutions through dialogue, in comments made to French media.

Sheikh Tamim spoke of Qatar's foreign policy and what the country has contributed on a regional and global scale "through its relentless pursuit of bringing together conflicting viewpoints and playing the role of constructive mediation that helps all parties engage in dialogue and reach peaceful solutions to their differences".

Qatar has previously hosted talks between the US and the Taliban and more recently between Iran and world powers to revive a 2015 nuclear pact, among other parties.

He made the comments during an interview with Le Point, where he also discussed ongoing wars and crises, energy, Iran, the Gulf Cooperation Council post-reconciliation with Qatar, women’s rights and freedoms, and the upcoming Qatar World Cup tournament.

100 day countdown till the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar @johnnyduerden pens an Arab overview#WorldCup2022 https://t.co/cn3JpxUuDJ

— The New Arab (@The_NewArab) August 14, 2022

Touching on the Arab Spring protests which swept the region since 2010, Sheikh Tamim said he believes the reasons behind these uprisings still exist and are bound to happen again if social and economic problems are not solved.

"The deep roots that led to it are still present, such as poverty and unemployment," he told Le Point, adding that rather than finding radical solutions they continue to exacerbate.  

"If we don't find solutions, the events that caused these [protests] in the first place will repeat themselves."

The presidents of Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and Yemen were all forced out of power following anti-government protests.

Other Arab countries have also witnessed mass demonstrations over the past decade, including Algeria, Sudan, Iraq, and Lebanon.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whose regime also brutally cracked down on protesters in early 2011, remains in power after 11 years of conflict with the help of his allies Russia and Iran.

The Emir of Qatar said the Palestinian issue was "the most important" given that "peace will not be achieved without it".

He downplayed the possibility of normalising ties with Israel, saying the situation with the country was not "normal" to begin with.

"Arab lands remain occupied, Palestinian refugees are unable to return to their lands, and continue to live under siege in the Gaza Strip," he said.

The Qatari ruler stressed the need to "reach a peaceful settlement for the sake of the Palestinian people".