Germany backs UAE's stand on Qatar

United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahayan said on Tuesday that Arab countries boycotting Qatar over its alleged support for terrorism were still awaiting a response to their demands via mediator Kuwait.

"We are still waiting for the response from our brothers in Kuwait regarding the response that they received from Qatar and once we examine it among ourselves we will take the decision of course," Sheikh Abdullah said at a news conference with his German counterpart in Abu Dhabi.

Officials from the UAE and Saudi Arabia have suggested that further sanctions, including the possibility of kicking out Qatar from the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council, could be imposed if Doha failed to heed the demands.

Asked about any further sanctions, Sheikh Abdullah advised caution.

"I think it is premature to talk about the extra sanctions and steps and procedures to be taken by these countries," he said.

"This depends on what we will hear from our brothers in Kuwait and the dialogue and conversations among ourselves and the examination of these responses."

Meanwhile Germany's foreign minister said the diplomatic stand-off in the Gulf region between Qatar and its neighbours gives the entire region an opportunity to move together to step up its fight against terrorism financing.

Speaking in Abu Dhabi on the second day of a regional tour, Sigmar Gabriel said he had agreed with Sheikh Abdullah that harbouring of terrorists or their financing must end.

He added that there were plenty of ways to prevent a further escalation of tensions in the region, where Qatar faces a blockade from its Arab neighbours.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt are pressing Qatar to shut its Al Jazeera news TV station and scale back relations with Iran, Saudi Arabia's arch-rival in the Gulf region, part of 13 demands they want Doha to fulfill to end the crisis.

Qatar has said it delivered a response to mediator Kuwait, which will be discussed by the four countries at a meeting in Cairo on Wednesday after their deadline for Doha to accept the demands expires late on Tuesday.

Source: Khaleej Times