Loud Whispers

Tunisia has called on Arab and Gulf countries to adopt dialogue in order to bridge differences and avoid all forms of escalation in relation to the regional rift with Qatar, Tunisian Foreign Minister Khemaies Jhinaoui said on Tuesday in a statement.

The minister statement came following two separate meetings; one with ambassadors representing Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain and another one with Qatar’s representative.

Last week, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, Yemen and the eastern-based government of Libya cut diplomatic ties with Qatar, saying that Doha supports terrorist organisations  and interferes in the internal affairs of other countries in the region.

During the two meetings, Jhinaoui reiterated that Tunisia is deeply concerned about the relations between the Arab Gulf states, “taking into account the bonds of fraternity that bind the countries and peoples of the region.”

Tunisia has strong relations with all the Arab countries without any exception, he added, saying that Tunis has confidence in Arab Gulf countries ability to overcome differences, no matter how severe, to ensure unity and to safeguard the values of Arab solidarity