UAE foreign minister says Qatar must take decisive action against extremism

During a meeting with his American counterpart in Washington, UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed said on Thursday that Qatar must stop interfering in the internal affairs of its neighbors.

The Emirati foreign minister also spoke with US Secretary of Treasury Steven Mnuchin and discussed joint efforts to close terrorist financing networks that were designated under the recently released Qatar-linked terror lis

UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed with US Secretary of Treasury Steven Mnuchin. (WAM)

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain collectively designated 59 individuals and 12 institutions last week that have financed terrorist organizations and received support from Qatar.

On the first day of his two-day visit to the United States, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed met with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Thursday night and a number of officials in Donald Trump’s administration.

Bin Zayed briefed his US counterpart on the measures taken by the United Arab Emirates and other countries against Qatar because of its continued support for extremist individuals and groups, stressing that “Doha must take decisive action to stop financing terrorist groups and refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of its neighbors and ending the use of its media platforms yo incite and promote extremism”.