"We give our highest appreciation toward Indonesia, the press, the people, and, most importantly, the Indonesian Government for its neutral stance regarding the dispute which involves Qatar and Middle East," the ambassador said, through his translator, during the meeting in Wisma Antara, Jakarta, on Thursday.
Qatars current condition is considered not good, since the country has gained opposition from neighboring countries, such as Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt, which caused difficulties in its foreign relationships.
"Right now, we are not in a very good position, where we are mistreated by the other countries and are even obliged to comply with some demands. The demands affect our sovereignty, making it difficult for us to disagree," the ambassador stated.
During his visit to Wisma Antara, the ambassador expressed his appreciation to Antara (Indonesian News Agency) General Director, Meidyatama Suryodiningrat. He also discussed press relationship between Indonesian News Agency and that of Qatars.
He stated that Qatar expects Indonesian to be a mediator, which could be the third party for Middle Eastern issues, considering Indonesias position as not leaning towards a single party and always remaining careful about its foreign affairs.
"Just like Kuwait, which we see as a mediator, Indonesia tends to be careful regarding foreign affairs and always urges the conflicted parties to discuss the problem and seek a better solution. Therefore, I expect more active efforts from Indonesia," he said.
"Indonesias stance, which is really neutral, does not directly benefit us, but with such a stance, it can be assured that Indonesia could remain a good third party for the issue," the ambassador remarked.(*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2017
