Qatari Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said on Monday that his country is following with great concern the military escalation in Ukraine, stressing the importance of respecting Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, and adopting dialogue as a way to resolve the crisis.
In his online speech before the 49th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, the Qatari Foreign Minister affirmed that his country sees at this critical stage the necessity of adopting constructive dialogue and diplomatic methods to resolve this crisis, and also stresses respect for Ukraine's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders.
He stressed the need to adhere to the United Nations Charter and the well-established principles of international law, including obligations under the Charter to settle international disputes by peaceful means, refrain from the threat or use of force, and adhere to the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of states.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani also emphasized giving the highest priority to protecting civilians, and pointed to the difficult humanitarian situation that millions of refugees would face in the event of continued escalation and tension, which requires the solidarity of the international community to develop emergency plans to respond to their necessary needs.
Last Thursday, the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, received a call from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in which he informed him of the latest developments on the Ukrainian arena, shortly after the start of a Russian military operation targeting Ukrainian territory.
At the time, the Qatar News Agency stated that the emir called on all parties to exercise restraint, to resolve the dispute through dialogue and diplomatic methods, and not to take anything that would lead to further escalation.