Q Life Magazine Q Magazine December 2017 | Page 10

| His Excellency the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani during his interview with Qatar TV
Q : Your Excellency , what is the cause of this crisis , and what are the possibilities of resolving it ? The goal of our neighbours is clear to all by now : interference in the internal affairs of Qatar . This is unacceptable and is a red line for us , and the people of Qatar .
Our position has been clear since day one : dialogue is the only way to end the crisis , and we are open to dialogue , provided that the sovereignty of states and the principle of non-interference in internal affairs are maintained .
If any of the blockading countries have comments for us , they must be discussed in an atmosphere of mutual respect as we are accustomed to in the Gulf .
Q : What about Qatar ’ s relationship with the international community ? Thanks to the wise leadership of His Highness the Emir , Qatar continues to enjoy good and special relations with the international community .
During this crisis , we have endeavoured to consolidate these relations with many countries within the framework of our foreign policy principles . These include mutual
respect and non-interference in internal affairs , as well as effective cooperation in the achievement of international peace and security , and the resolution of disputes through peaceful means .
Qatar is always keen to strengthen its relationships with other countries . Our goal is to achieve our state interests and those of our citizens , as well as mutual interests with other countries .
Q : Your Excellency , what is the impact of this blockade on Qatar ’ s economy Strengthening Qatar ’ s economy is a top priority for the country . The impact of this crisis has been very mild , and within two weeks things returned to normal .
From my point of view , this crisis was like a wakeup call for us in many areas . We have sufficient capabilities to meet the challenges that our economy may face , and we shall emerge from this crisis stronger than before .
Q : Are there initiatives by the State of Qatar to encourage local products and achieve selfsufficiency ? Certainly , we always encourage national production , and we have created many initiatives to encourage the local
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