The Ministry of Economy and Commerce has today announced that the State of Qatar has filed a formal complaint with the World Trade Organisation (WTO)’s Dispute Settlement Body against countries that have imposed a siege on the State of Qatar. The complaint accuses the siege countries of violating the WTO’s core laws and conventions on trade of goods and services, and trade-related aspects of intellectual property.
The Office of the State of Qatar to the WTO in Geneva, in accordance with Article IV of the Understanding on Dispute Settlement in the Organization, has requested formal consultations with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Bahrain by detailing all of the violations committed by them against the State of Qatar, in contravention of the various conventions overseen by the WTO.
It should be noted that the three Gulf States that imposed the illegal siege have, since June 5th this year, severed diplomatic relations with Doha. Additionally, they have closed Qatar’s only land border (with Saudi Arabia) and denied access to sea and airspace, violating the rights not only of the State of Qatar, but also of its trading partners .
H.E Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassem bin Mohammed Al-Thani, Minister of Economy and Commerce, said that the arbitrary measures taken by the siege countries are a clear violation of the provisions and conventions of international trade law. Furthermore, the illegal siege is unprecedented in the framework of economic blocs.
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HE. The Minister noted that this positive step taken by the State of Qatar clearly demonstrates to all member countries of the WTO the level of transparency exhibited by the State of Qatar through requesting formal and transparent dialogue and consultations with the siege countries in order to inform them of violations they have committed.
He added that the State of Qatar asks these countries to sit at the dialogue table and start holding such consultations.
H.E the Minister also stressed that the State of Qatar has, respected, and continues to respect, all bilateral, regional and international agreements and that the Ministry of Economy and Commerce will take all necessary steps with regional and international organizations to defend their economic and commercial interests, and those of their partners in these fields
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H.E. the Minister of Economy and Commerce earlier met in Geneva with the Director General of the World Trade Organization, as well as the President of the World Economic Forum and the Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization.
The Minister has also met with a group of lawyers from a firm specialising in World Trade Organization (WTO) legal disputes. The firm was hired to study the illegal measures taken by the siege countries against the State of Qatar.
