The blockade of Qatar by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain represents an “existential threat to the very existence of the GCC,” says Lolwah R.M. Al-Khater, spokesperson for Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

Ms. Al-Khater expressed appreciation for the mediation of Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the emir of Kuwait, adding that while there have been “many attempts” to resolve the dispute, although there were no such initiatives during the UN General Assembly last week.

The Qatari spokesperson was ‘very optimistic” about diplomacy in Afghanistan, saying, “As a mediator we went through ups and downs; however, the progress overall — if we compare it to the previous years — is excellent, and we think that there is a good prospect in the very near future to resume this process.”

Al-Khater welcomed the partial cease-fire in Yemen this week, and noted that Qatar has been active in addressing the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, “through the UN, through UNICEF, through other Qatar-based entities such as Silatech, which is dedicated to empowering the youth and women through microloans, microprojects, etc.”