CAIRO _ The four-nation alliance that severed ties with Qatar said Wednesday that Doha's response to its demands to end the crisis had been "negative" and failed to recognize the seriousness of the situation _ but stopped short of announcing new punitive measures.
Qatar's reply "showed complacency and non seriousness to deal with the root of the problem and reconsider their policies and practices," Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said as he read out a statement on behalf of the allies _ Egypt, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. He said talks would continue and the bloc wouldn't make "hasty" decisions. The countries gathered in Cairo to discuss the monthlong spat as the deadline for Qatar to submit to the bloc's 13 demands elapsed.
Qatar denies charges that it's destabilizing the region by supporting terrorism and cozying up to Iran. On Wednesday, its foreign minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, told a Chatham House event that Saudi Arabia and its allies see Qatar as "punching above its weight" and want to silence an alternative voice.
Neither side appears willing to concede ground in the diplomatic impasse, which Kuwait's emir is working to mediate. The standoff is hurting Qatar, the world's largest exporter of liquefied natural gas. With air, land and sea links cut, Turkey stepped in to ship food imports that once came in by land through Saudi Arabia, and Iran also promised assistance. The emirate, which is to host the 2022 soccer World Cup, has been able to weather the brunt of the measures only because of its vast natural gas wealth.
Shoukry said the four nations had agreed to meet again in the Bahraini capital, without saying when. His Saudi counterpart, Adel Al-Jubeir, said the alliance would weigh additional measures against Qatar and that it reserved the right to take action when appropriate.
The bloc has demanded that Qatar scale back ties with Iran, sever relations with the Muslim Brotherhood and shut the Al-Jazeera media network.
