ABU DHABI: Gulf nations cannot rely solely on the United States and other international alliances for their security and need to be more selfsufficient, Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesman said in Abu Dhabi on Mond ay.
‘We need to realise in the Gulf that having international forces in the region, having a strategic alliance with the United States, is very important, but is not enough,’ he told the Hili Forum in the United Arab Emirates capital.
‘Self-sufficiency, when it comes to security, is the only way forward. Yes, we need our partners. Yes, we need our allies. But we cannot depend on them alone for our security,’ he added.
Qatar is a key mediator in the US-Iran war and has sustained heavy Iranian attacks, especially on its energy infrastructure.
Last month, Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani travelled to Tehran as part of mediation efforts, after Iran and Oman, which border the key strait, said they were discussing a temporary shipping corridor and mine-clearing.
The tiny but wealthy, gas-rich country hosts the biggest US base in the Middle East.-AFP