Qatar rejects Arab demands but ready for dialogue, says foreign minister
ROME - Qatar will reject a series of demands made by several other Arab states, its foreign minister said on Saturday, adding that their ultimatum was aimed not at tackling terrorism but at curtailing his country's sovereignty.
But Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, speaking to reporters in Rome, said Doha was still ready to sit down and discuss the grievances raised by its Arab neighbours.
"This list of demands is to be rejected, not to be accepted. We are willing to engage in dialogue but under proper conditions," he said, adding that Qatar would not close down a Turkish military base in his country or shut the Doha-based satellite channel Al Jazeera as demanded by the Arab countries.
