'Qatar is a very, very, very small issue', Saudi Crown Prince says

The Saudi Crown Prince highlighted that tensions with Qatar will not impact Saudi Arabia’s development plans, Reuters reported.

“Qatar is a very, very, very small issue,” Mohammed Bin Salman told Reuters in an exclusive interview. “We are very committed to have our country safe, far away from any disturbance. I will say one thing, that the only country in the Middle East where that safety and stability track-record goes for around 100 years in Saudi Arabia,” Salman continued.

“Saudi Arabia has the best track-record and has proven itself strongly in each problem in the Middle East and the world and handled it and went on to be more powerful,” Bin Salman said.

Saudi Arabia along with the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt cut ties with Qatar in early June, accusing it of supporting terrorism and extremism. An air, land and sea siege is currently in force. Qatar has categorically denied the claims.

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On the Yemen war, Salman said: “We’re pursuing until we can be sure that nothing will happen there like Hezbollah again, because Yemen is more dangerous than Lebanon. It’s next to Bab Al-Mandab so if something happens there, that means ten per cent of world trade stops. This is the crisis.”

Saudi Arabia entered the Yemen civil war in March 2015, leading a group of Arab states to support President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi and neutralise threats from the Iranian-backed Houthis. Two years in to the civil war and there is a stalemate on territorial battle lines.

Qatar was part of the coalition however following the blockade on the small Gulf state, it was forced out.

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