(MENAFN- The Peninsula) QNA
Washington: Speaking during a discussion at the Center for the National Interest (CNI) in Washington, the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani stressed that the siege countries have been trying to "twist the truth with a scheme to flood the media with egregious lies about my country, but now over the past six months the truth is surfacing."
The minister said that lately the world has been watching the news and seeing images from "my region which are full of drama and discord," adding that it wasn't always like that as the region used to be "a place of prosperity thanks to shared effort" to enhance the values of peaceful coexistence.
"That time was lost and dark periods of close mindedness, totalitarianism and aggression set it. The Middle East went from a center of connectivity and enlightenment to being a region of turbulence," the minister said.
"During the age of aggression, extremism has flourished. Governments seeking domination, centralizing power and intimidating smaller countries into submission. These dark ages are not happening in the distant past. They are happening right now.
"The illegal blockade launched against my country six months ago is just one move in an aggressive power play. The blockade was not really about those fake demands or ultimatums, but rather about modern day powerful regimes threatening freedom, liberty and sovereignty.
"These threats are being played out in a dangerous game of power against many nations in the region, against Yemen, Somalia, Libya and now Lebanon. Aggression gone wild," the minister said in his address.
Sheikh Mohammed added that it seems that these powers "are willing to use unbridled means of intimidation; silencing the centers, creating humanitarian crisis, shutting down communication, manipulating financial markets, bullying smaller nations, blackmailing, fracturing governments, terrorizing citizens, strong-arming the leaders of other nations, and spreading propaganda."
He added that "some journalists and think-tanks sacrificed their journalistic integrity for their donors' favour."
"We are a tiny nation in the Middle East sandwiched between two powerful forces in the region; Iran to the north and Saudi Arabia to the south. Then there is the UAE to the east, the largest trade partner with Iran but at the same times acts as an accomplice with Saudi Arabia," the minister said.
"Twenty years ago," he said, "Qatar decided to make a bold move for independence. As our neighbors reverted to the dark ages of closed diplomacy and consolidation of power, Qatar decided to chart course towards openness. Qatar decided that the best way to seek peace would be through international collaboration and sharing."
The deputy prime minister and foreign minister said that the reason given by the siege countries for the current Gulf crisis "is and was a smokescreen," adding that "Qatar is actually a global leader in the fight against terrorism and the blockading states are well aware of this reality."
The current Gulf crisis "is and was a blockade against my country in an attempt to choke our efforts to resist the centralization of power in the region," he said, adding that "what started six months ago as a crisis of betrayal today looks much worse."
"The blockading states have been trying to twist the truth with a scheme to flood the media with egregious lies about my country, but now over the past six months the truth is surfacing," Sheikh Mohammed said.
"Little did we know that behind the scenes, the efforts of the blockading states ran deeper; cyberattacks, market manipulations, and plots of economic ruin for Qatar," he said.
"The disrespect of international law and the absence of enforcement mechanisms made our region an experimental field for the power seekers' adventures'. Regional players are acting irresponsibly, taking political gambles with the lives of other nations' citizens with no exit strategy.
"Not even wisdom prevails. Aid for starving children is being used as leverage. While the atrocities of Syria are being tolerated and in the same way that Yemen is being put in a meaningless stalemate, now these powers make their attempt in Lebanon.
"This systematic behavior is a reckless pattern for seeking power with a complete disregard for the suffering left in their wake. That suffering includes lost opportunities in the war against terror. The blockading states who are among the power players in the region have systematic behavior, which distracts the U.S., Qatar and all our global partners from our shared anti-terrorism efforts," the minister said.
Sheikh Mohammed added that the siege countries' "hunger for power and their unpredictability ruin regional stability and security," noting that "these power players are helping terrorism thrive."
"These are not blockading states run by institutions with checks and balances but by individuals who seek power through a range of techniques from cyberattacks to tribal incitement," he said, adding that "those who seek power create crises."
"So, where do we go from here?" the minister questioned. "While we are a tiny nation, we have undergone enormous changes over the past 20 years. We are work in progress but I wanted to share some of the lessons we learned from Qatar and within Qatar."
The deputy prime minister and foreign minister highlighted in this regard the need to "practice good governance," adding that "for there to be a trust built between a people and their leader, a social contract must be formed."
"This can only be created through respect for the dignity of each citizen, giving them the rule of law and due process. Transparent leadership and investment in human capital sews the seeds of future prosperity," the minister said.
"Conduct reformation with moderation," Sheikh Mohammed said. "Reform should continuously happen and each nation has the right to define its culture and decide what change is needed."
The deputy prime minister and foreign minister said that reform done through "forced stalemate creates a ticking bomb," adding that "extreme reform forced through populations create a bitter backlash."
"A steady path of reformation through moderation inspire wise and lasting reforms," Sheikh Mohammed said.
The minister reiterated the need to "exhaust all diplomatic means," saying that "war and violence create suffering" when needless suffering could have been avoided through peaceful means.
Concluding his address, HE the deputy prime minister and foreign minister expressed hope that "instead of powerful players in my region seeking domination and control of other countries, those powerful nations instead seek to serve their neighbors."
"Qatar wants more than just stability for the region. We want the Middle East to flourish. Qatar's vision for the Middle East is a return to peaceful coexistence where the East and the West can come together and where
Qatar can serve as a hinge for peace in a more enlightened time," he said.
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