#QatarCrisis: Emir Of Qatar Makes His First Public Statement Since The Gulf Fallout

Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani made his first statement on the recent Gulf fallout in a televised speech on Friday.

In his speech he called for dialogue between the Gulf countries in a bid to resolve the current issues.

He stressed that any solution must respect Qatar's sovereignty 

The speech comes after the UAE welcomed Qatars decision to amend it's anti-terrorism laws in an attempt to meet some of the demands set for Qatar by it's Gulf neighbours.

It also followed US Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson's, announcement that the US was happy with Qatar's efforts to implement arrangements to combat terrorism and he asked the four Gulf states, Saudi Arabia,UAE, Egypt and Bahrain, to lift their land blockades. 

Sheikh Al Thani thanked Kuwait for their mediation and the US, Turkey and Germany for their support

He said, "The perpetrators have undermined our sovereignty and independence by fabricating false statements to mislead international public opinion." 

He also praised the people of Qatar for their solidarity at this time, "We have been holding steadfast with our principles and traditions even at the time of trial simply for the reason that we respect ourselves before anything else, and I call on you all to continue to hold on to that without slipping into that which is conflicting with our principles and values."

The Government Communications Office in Qatar released this picture to highlight the information contained in Al Thani's speech