Qatar’s ruler Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani urged leaders at the United Nations General Assembly to back his request for talks to end the months-long crisis between his country and a Saudi-led coalition.
The “unjust” blockade on Qatar is an attempt to destabilize a sovereign nation, he said, adding that his country is prospering despite the blockade, using sea and air routes that are outside the control of its opponents. Qatar is open to dialogue, he said.
“We have refused to yield to dictations by pressure and siege,” he said at the UN podium. “At the same time, we have taken an open attitude towards dialogue without dictation.”
The speech capped the emir’s first foreign trip since his country was isolated by a Saudi-led bloc of Arab states in June.
