Qatari PM speaks for keeping free passage in Strait of Hormuz

World June 22, 16:22

"Qatar’s principled position is that it opposes changing the status of the Strait of Hormuz from what it was before the war," Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said

DOHA, June 22. /TASS/. Qatar is against the idea of charging a toll for passage through the Strait of Hormuz, Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, who acted as a mediator at the US-Iran talks in Switzerland, said.

"Qatar’s principled position is that it opposes changing the status of the Strait of Hormuz from what it was before the war," he told the Al Jazeera television channel.

He stressed that Doha insists that navigation in this waterway must be free. "Our vision of the Strait of Hormuz is that it should remain open and that passage through it should be unimpeded," he stated.

Touching on relations with Tehran, he lambasted Iran’s actions against Qatar and other neighboring countries during the war as unacceptable. However, he noted that there is a consensus among the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member countries that a common vision is needed for dialogue with the Islamic Republic.

"We want Iran to cooperate with the Gulf countries on the basis of high level of trust," the Qatari prime minister said, adding that upcoming GCC meetings will focus on regional security and measures to establish a mechanism for ensuring security.

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