Restrictions on Qatar to continue

International Desk: Restrictions on Qatar will continue after it rejected the ultimatum made by its Middle East neighbours, Saudi Arabia has said.

The foreign ministers of four Arab countries, meeting in Cairo, said they regretted Qatar's "negative" response to their list of demands.

Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the UAE severed ties with Qatar last month.

They accuse it of supporting jihadi groups, and called for major changes in its policies.

The diplomats said Qatar lacked "understanding of the seriousness and gravity of the situation".

The Saudi Foreign Minister said further steps would be taken against Qatar at the appropriate time, and would be in line with international law.

The meeting came as the deadline for Qatar to accept the list of demands or face further sanctions expired.

The bloc's demands to Qatar include shutting down the Al Jazeera channel and scaling down ties with Iran.

Speaking in London before the four ministers' statement, the Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani described the cutting of ties with his country as "a siege that is a clear aggression and an insult".

"The answer to our disagreement is not blockades and ultimatums, it is dialogue and reason," he added.

The small oil- and gas-rich nation is dependent on imports to meet the basic needs of its population of 2.7 million.

Agencies


risingbd/Dhaka/July 5, 2017/Nasim