UK Defence Minister: Qatar offered great support to defeat Daesh

British Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said the State of Qatar has offered great support for the international campaign against terrorism and Daesh.

“Three years after the start of this campaign, all the achievements would not have been possible without Qatar’s support,” Fallon said, adding that his country “supports all mediation efforts to resolve the current Gulf crisis, especially Kuwaiti efforts.”

In an interview with Qatar’s Al-Sharq newspaper published yesterday, the minister explained that during his recent visit to Kuwait three weeks ago, he had encouraged the Kuwaitis to continue their mediation efforts.

He warned of the negative impact of prolonging the crisis in the Middle East, stressing that “the crisis should not be allowed to continue in light of the challenges facing the region”.

Remarking on the impact of the Gulf crisis, Fallon said:

All parties must work hard to find a solution because the unity of the Gulf countries is an important pillar of stability in the entire region.

He pointed out that there are many challenges facing the region, including the war in Syria, the conflict in Yemen, and others therefore the conflict in the Gulf should not be allowed to continue.

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“We do not interfere in a Gulf conflict, but we encourage mediation, and I would like if we all realised that we need to fight terrorism better and stronger,” he said.

Remarking on the cooperation between Britain and Qatar, the British minister said it extends from defence and commercial cooperation to other aspects.

He stressed Britain’s support for Qatar in its preparations for hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Doha.

“Qatar is a strong ally of Britain and we are now implementing the Defence and Security Cooperation Agreement, which was renewed last year, and our forces are working closely with each other,” he said, describing current relations between Qatar and the UK as “excellent”.