TEHRAN, December 15 - Qatar called Saturday for a new regional alliance following the failure of the four-decade-old (Persian) Gulf Cooperation Council to resolve an 18-month rift between the emirate and its neighbours.
TEHRAN, Young Journalists Club (YJC) - Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said that the boycott imposed on the emirate by Saudi Arabia and its allies had irreparably damaged the existing six-nation structure set up at the height of the Iran-Iraq war in 1981.
"The regional alliance has been undermined by the crisis," Sheikh Mohammed told policymakers at the two-day Doha Forum.
"Therefore the alliance that existed needs to be reshaped and redesigned to ensure future stability and security of the region."
His comments came after Qatar's emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, stayed away from the (Persian) GCC's annual summit in Riyadh last Sunday despite receiving an invitation from its Saudi hosts.
The Qatari minister lashed out at the reasons advanced by Saudi Arabia and its allies Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates for imposing their sweeping boycott.
"It was based on lies, it was based on crimes... it was based on creating propaganda to create fear among the people," he said.
Riyadh and its allies accused Doha of supporting "terrorist groups", including the Muslim Brotherhood which they blacklist but with which Qatar has longstanding ties, AFP reported.
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