On Monday, five Gulf states led by Saudi Arabia abruptly disrupted their diplomatic ties with Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorism.
The dilemma for non-Arab nations like Malaysia, Indonesia and Pakistan is most immediate. As a result the Government of Qatar has undermined the national security of our Four States and exposed each State to threats, subversion, and the spread of instability by individuals and terrorist organizations operating from Qatar and or supported by it.
Its emir, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, on Wednesday arrived in Doha, where he was received by his Qatari counterpart, Kuwait's official KUNA news agency said.
Qatar is home to more than a million migrant labourers from countries including India, Nepal and Bangladesh, many of whom for around 1,000 riyals ($275) a month toil on construction projects including football stadiums and a metro system being built for the 2022 World Cup.
Assistant President Ibrahim Mahmoud Hamid said that the meeting confirmed Sudan's support to the efforts by the Kuwaiti Emir to reach a peaceful settlement, expressing his hope that the current crisis would end soon. Saudi and UAE isolation of Qatar could push the Gulf state to draw closer to Iran, Turkey and Russian Federation, a move that would increase regional polarization and could significantly weaken the Gulf Cooperation Council.
Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have ordered their citizens to leave Qatar, potentially hitting enrolment at branch campuses.
The timing of the crisis in the Gulf was for Malaysia, for example, particularly unfortunate.
"We are not ready to surrender, and will never be ready to surrender, the independence of our foreign policy", Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani told reporters in Doha. Some sources cautioned however that the defence and interior ministries may adopt a more independent approach.
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Later, the authorities of Libya, Yemen as well as the Maldives and Mauritius also announced about severing diplomatic relations with Qatar.
Iran blamed arch-foe Saudi Arabia for the attack, which was claimed by the Islamic State militant group.
A day earlier, Trump discussed the crisis with King Salman of Saudi Arabia, which is leading the anti-Qatar campaign.
Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies may have felt emboldened to move against Qatar by Trump's visit last month to Riyadh, which saw the president clearly align USA interests with the kingdom and lash out at Iran.
The crisis in the Gulf could also complicate implementation of China's One Belt, One Road (OBOR) now known as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
Sheikh Sabah also has traveled to Saudi Arabia in his efforts.
"Strict and firm action will be taken against anyone who shows sympathy or any form of bias towards Qatar, or against anyone who objects to the position of the United Arab Emirates, whether it be through the means of social media, or any type of written, visual or verbal form", Gulf News quoted UAE Attorney-General Hamad Saif al-Shamsi as saying.
- Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged compromise in the dispute between Qatar and Saudi Arabia and its allies in the rift. Fitch Ratings puts Qatar at AA.
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