Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani renewed Qatar’s condemnation of the targeting and killing of civilians — regardless of their backgrounds, the continuation of the collective punishment policy followed by Israel towards the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, and the ongoing escalation in the West Bank, which is increasing on a daily basis, escalating the conflict in the region.

In a briefing held on Wednesday with Prime Minister of Romania Marcel Ciolacu, the PM pointed out that Qatar had clearly warned, since the beginning of the events on October 7, of the expansion of the circle of conflicts (which is seen on various fronts today) and its direct relationship to the escalation and war on the Gaza Strip.

In this context, he called on the international community to assume its responsibilities and work to stop this war as well as the continuous targeting and killing of the Palestinian people, in addition to the policy of siege and starvation against them, and the use of humanitarian aid as a tool for political exploitation.

Sheikh Mohammed pointed out the differing international positions regrading the situation in Gaza, deploring the double standards of some counties in evaluating conflicts.

He also called on the international community to ensure that the standards be unified and applied on everyone, rather than being classified on the basis of identity of the aggressor and the victim.

The PM stressed that there will be no permanent solution or sustainable peace without the establishment of a Palestinian State with East Jerusalem as its capital, on the borders of June 4, 1967, in accordance with the resolutions of international legitimacy and the Arab Peace Initiative.

In regard to the file of ceasefire negotiations and the release of hostages, the PM explained that the negotiations are going through a sensitive phase and some faltering, indicating that the negotiations -unfortunately- range between moving forward and faltering.

Qatar is making efforts to address this matter and move forward to put an end to the suffering of the Palestinian people and recover the hostages at the same time, he added. Qatar is an advocate of peace, not of war, and it demands that there be similar and compatible positions alongside it from the Israeli side, so that the solution can be achieved and the Palestinian people can live in safety, he continued.

During the briefing, the PM spoke about the Qatari-Romanian relations, stressing that they are characterized by trust and keenness to exchange views on various issues in the Middle East and Europe. In this regard, he pointed out the continuous exchange and permanent political consultation between the two countries over the past years.

During the past few years, the two countries signed a group of agreements in several fields, including youth, sports, economy, health, medicine, culture, trade, industry, education and cooperation, he explained, adding that a memorandum of understanding was signed regarding livestock and food security, which embodies the ambitions of the two countries to strengthen and develop the relations to broader horizons.

Today, there was a chance to discuss the regional developments that the Middle East is going through, especially since the region is experiencing sensitive circumstances and a dangerous escalation, the PM indicated, calling on all parties to reduce the escalation and spare the region from sliding into a new cycle of conflicts.

For his part, Prime Minister of Romania Marcel Ciolacu said that his visit to Doha sends a strong message indicating that his country stands alongside Qatar, the US and partners in the European Union to support peace efforts and restore security in the Middle East.

He stressed the need for all countries to adopt a balanced stance and work to encourage dialogue and restraint to avoid dangerous events in the region, and for diplomacy and dialogue to be stronger than weapons.

In this regard, he hailed the role of Qatari mediation over the years in dealing with complex international files, which contributed to reducing the escalation in and outside the region, emphasizing Romania’s readiness to join relevant regional and international efforts to become part of a constructive solution, in order to avoid expanding the conflict in the Middle East.

The Romanian PM expressed appreciation for Qatar’s efforts, which demonstrated its important role in the region, especially regarding the release of hostages in the Gaza Strip, including Romanian citizens.

He pointed out that these efforts led to the safe return of Romanian citizens to their homes, commending the State of Qatar’s support for Romania during the Coronavirus pandemic, which strengthens the friendly relations between the two countries and their ability to build an in-depth partnership centered around strategic projects of mutual interest, in fields such as transportation, energy, economy, agriculture and digitalization.

He also expressed his hope that Romania would be the gateway to Qatari investment in the European Union, and that such cooperation would continue for the benefit of the two friendly countries and their peoples.