Qatar: Demands to end blockade ‘unproven claims’

By Ramazan Turgut

DOHA (AA) - Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani on Tuesday characterized a 13-point list of demands by Arab states to end a blockade against it as "unproven claims".

"These are not demands, they are unproven claims," Thani told the media following a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in Washington.

The minister said instead of submitting the demands, the claims used to justify cutting relations should first be discussed in detail.

He said the demands should be reasonable and applicable otherwise it was impossible to accept.

Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE, Bahrain and Yemen abruptly cut diplomatic relations with Qatar on June 5, accusing it of supporting terrorism.

Mauritania followed suit shortly afterward, while Jordan has downgraded its diplomatic representation in Doha.

Saudi Arabia has also sealed its land border with Qatar, thus geographically isolating it.

Doha denies the accusations it supports terrorism and described as “unjustified” the moves to isolate it.

On Saturday, Qatar announced it had received the list of demands by Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE and Bahrain -- to end the weeks-long embargo.

The four countries have reportedly given Doha a 10-day deadline to meet their demands.

"Some of the elements" in the demands "will be very difficult for Qatar to meet", Tillerson said last weekend.