13 June, 2017
"We in Qatar are prepared to engage in dialogue positively, but in accordance with the global norms and standards that govern any dialogue as per worldwide law", Sheikh Mohammed said.
United Nations aviation body should declare Gulf Arab measures against Qatari air traffic as illegal, the chief executive of Qatar Airways said in comments to CNN published on Monday, after some Arab states cut ties with Doha in a diplomatic row.
Boris Johnson has urged four Gulf and Arab countries to ease their blockade on Qatar over its alleged support for extremist groups and close ties to Iran.
Akbar Al Baker criticized Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain for closing their airspace to Qatari flights a week ago.
Abdalrahman bin Omeir Al Nuaimi, a Qatari accused of financing terror groups including Al Qaeda branches in Iraq, Syria and Yemen, also posted messages on Twitter condemning the Saudi moves against Qatar.
Qatar Airways has been hit hard by the dispute, with 18 destinations now out of bounds for the airline. But a serious economic downturn could have more dire consequences for the almost 90 percent of Qatar's 2.7 million residents who are not citizens but foreign workers, mostly unskilled laborers, many dependent on construction projects, including stadiums for the 2022 soccer World Cup.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Ghasemi said Monday the two sides should resolve their differences through negotiations.
The U.S has a military base in Qatar, which it says is crucial to its operations in the Middle East. "If we're going to lose a dollar, they will lose a dollar also".
Foreign Minister Mohammed Al Thani expressed his government's frustration at not receiving specific demands from the Saudi alliance, which he said meant there was no basis for a diplomatic solution. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian is scheduled to talk Monday with his Qatari counterpart.
Qatar's neighbors cut ties with the country over accusations that it sponsors Islamic extremism, which Qatar denies.
Earlier, there were reports of Pakistan sending troops to Qatar after Turkey's chose to deploy troops in Qatar.
Typically, cargo for Qatar stops at Dubai's massive deep-water Jebel Ali port, then gets put on smaller boats heading to Doha. The central bank adopted a similar tone, saying it had sufficient reserves to meet all requirements and that banks were functioning normally without disruption, state-run Qatar News Agency reported.
