Germany apologises to Qatar over minister's ISIS funding claims

Germany has apologised to Qatar for remarks by a German minister in which he accused Qatar of funding ISIS militants in Iraq.

A foreign ministry spokesman, Martin Schaffer, said that Germany “regrets” any offence caused by the German minister’s remarks.

Gerd Mueller, Development Aid minster affiliated to Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Party, made the following remark in an interview with ZDF channel, discussing the funding of ISIS militants in Iraq: “A story like this always has a history … Who is financing these troops? Hint: Qatar.”

A spokeswoman of Mueller’s ministry said that he was referring to press reports and has not made direct accusations.

Schaffer added that Qatari officials met with German embassy officials in Doha over Mueller’s remarks. “We told the government of Qatar that, for the federal government, Qatar is a partner with whom we work in a variety of ways, even if there are some questions where we don’t always have the same opinion,” he said at a press conference, stressing that Qatar is a “major regional player” and that Germany maintains “good and friendly relations” with the Gulf state.