HE the Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani has called for collective international action to protect civilians in Syria, who are under constant bombardment from regime forces.
Addressing a joint news conference with his German counterpart, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, in Berlin on Thursday night, Sheikh Mohamed said that there were continuous consultations with friendly countries over this. “We seek all the ways which would contribute to the protection of civilians from the aggressive bombardment by the Syrian regime forces.”
Earlier, the Foreign Minister held talks with Steinmeier. Talks during the meeting dealt with the latest developments in the region, bilateral relations between the two countries and means of enhancing them.
The two ministers stressed the need to protect civilians in Mosul, northern Iraq.
The talks also dealt with the role of Qatar in supporting the Syrian people. The ministers stressed the importance of adhering to the principles of human rights and international humanitarian law rights in Syria, affirming full support for Libya’s government of National Accord.
The State of Qatar was trying in various ways to reach a peaceful solution to the Syrian crisis, Sheikh Mohamed said, recalling in this regard Qatar’s stand “which completely rejects  violence”.
He stressed the importance of Lausanne and London’s meetings to discuss serious steps to find a solution to the Syrian crisis.
In response to a question on the escalation of Russia and its alliance with the Syrian regime, the Foreign Minister said that Qatar kept channels of dialogue open with the Russian side, and “we will continue our efforts in dialogue with them”, expressing hope  to achieve a cessation of escalation of hostilities against civilians.
He also noted that his participation in the International Ministerial Meeting on the Future of Mosul held in Paris came to emphasise the importance of the Battle of Mosul, in the context of the elimination of extremist organisations and to emphasise that the Iraqi government ensure that the operations are conducted in accordance with the national framework aimed at protecting the safety of civilians.
On the Libyan issue, the Foreign Minister stressed the importance of supporting the Libyan Political Agreement and its outputs, especially the Government of National Reconciliation, noting the importance of the involvement of all Libyan parties in this regard.
On terrorism, he stressed the need to discuss terrorism as a global issue that must be radically resolved. He also stressed the importance of achieving a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian cause, lifting the siege on Gaza and stopping all violations against Al Aqsa Mosque.
The Foreign Minister praised the positive role of Germany in the Middle East, especially in the humanitarian aspects and the reconstruction projects, looking forward to further developing bilateral relations between Qatar and Germany.
He highlighted the strength of relations between Doha and Berlin, underlining the role of German companies operating in the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The State of Qatar has many investments in the Federal Republic of Germany reflecting Qatar’s confidence in Germany’s strong and growing economy.
For his part, the German foreign minister praised the level of relations between the two countries, describing Qatar as a strong state and expressing hope to strengthening the partnership between the two countries.