Russia to continue 'good' ties with Persian Gulf states

By Diyar Guldogan

ANKARA (AA) - Russia will continue to maintain "good" ties with Persian Gulf states, a Kremlin spokesman said Monday following the decision of five Arab countries to cut diplomatic ties with Qatar.

Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Yemen announced earlier in the day that they were cutting links with Qatar, in the worst rift in years among some of the major states in the Arab world.

The move came after Saudi Arabia accused Doha of sheltering and backing terrorist groups, promoting terrorist groups in the media, and supporting Houthi militia in Yemen.

Speaking to reporters, Dmitry Peskov said: "We are really interested in maintaining these good relations and in having a stable and peaceful atmosphere in the Persian Gulf where the existing differences are resolved," according to Russian news agency TASS.

Peskov said Moscow expects the situation to defuse in a "peaceful" atmosphere.

"Russia cannot interfere in the internal affairs of other states, in this case, the Persian Gulf states," he said.

He did not comment on the credibility of claims against Qatar, but hoped the row would not affect "general determination" on the struggle against terrorism.