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00:00Iran this morning says it has sent new conditions to potentially restart negotiations with the U.S. via Qatar.
00:05The Gulf nation, of course, has in recent years emerged as a key mediator for regional and global conflicts.
00:11So joining us now is a man very familiar with his diplomatic dance, Dr. Majid Ansari.
00:15He's the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and, of course, a senior advisor to the Prime Minister.
00:20It's very nice to see you again.
00:21Always a pleasure, Kirsten.
00:22Sorry to start off with some breaking news, but I am wondering, have you received this opening from Iran?
00:28Is there anything you can say about it and just kind of update us where negotiations are, if there is
00:33anything to update on?
00:34Yes, I mean, Kirsten, as you know, for the past couple of weeks now, we've been going back and forth
00:38over different ideas to restart the talks.
00:42Since the return of hostilities to the region, we've been working together through our mediator team with both Tehran and
00:50the U.S. to see if we can get it restarted again.
00:54A lot of ideas have been thrown back and forth.
00:55This is just one iteration of these documents going back and forth, and we're trying to bridge the gap and
01:00find the right moment to move forward.
01:03So we're hoping that this could lead to other documents and other ideas that could actually develop the discussion even
01:10more.
01:10But as we are speaking right now, our mediators are shuttling between different capitals in the hopes of developing that
01:16even further.
01:17As we look forward, let's look back as well.
01:19And I think there's a lot of conversation surrounding that memo of understanding that it fell apart.
01:24In hindsight, did it come together too quickly?
01:27Was there not adequate buy-in from both parties, both the U.S. and Iran?
01:31What would you like to see done differently this time around as these negotiations continue?
01:34Well, first of all, it cannot come fast enough, right?
01:37I mean, we're trying to get the world working again.
01:41The block of the Strait of France has affected families everywhere around the world when it comes to energy prices,
01:46reduced yields of crops around the world, especially in more needy communities.
01:50The lack of helium and deuria is affecting food security, it's affecting technologies around the world.
01:54Not to say more about the energy, of course, issue around this.
01:59So we're working on a timeline that does not exist, right?
02:04We're working to make sure...
02:06You're on a negative timeline, basically.
02:07Yeah, exactly.
02:07We're working to make sure that we get back to normalcy as soon as possible.
02:10The MOU, we believed in it.
02:12We believed in what it accomplished.
02:14But the important thing is we believe that that offered a moment where the ceasefire could lead to the environment
02:20that could be conducive to peace.
02:21And this is what our priorities were set very clearly when we signed the MOU, and they're still the same
02:27priorities.
02:28Open the Strait, stop the war.
02:30These are the main two objectives of everything that we're doing right now, to make sure that we don't have
02:34any kind of hostilities, because all of us in the region and beyond suffer from these hostilities, and that the
02:39Strait is open and the international economy can go back to normalcy again.
02:41Given what you just said, you're waiting for the world to turn back on, would you like to see, or
02:46is there not enough buy-in from major global powers, from the U.S., Russia, China?
02:51Given how this is impacting all these major economies, why aren't they weighing in heavier to stop this conflict?
02:57You know, I think we've heard statements on the record from various administration officials who have confirmed that the U
03:03.S. wants a deal.
03:04The U.S. wants a solution to this war, a solution that would provide peace and prosperity for the people
03:08of the region and beyond, and to end this conflict once and so on.
03:12The world has too many frozen conflicts, and this was one of them, and we need to see a regional
03:17solution, first of all, that would offer regional stability, but also an international understanding that would protect waterways like the
03:24Strait of Formus, because this will not be the end goal when it comes to these kind of crises.
03:31The Strait of Formus is not the only Strait. Already, Babel Mendeb is in play.
03:35We know that there are other waterways that are in question around the world for various conflicts and various reasons,
03:40and therefore, we need to make sure that this ends in a sustainable way, and it ends in a way
03:44that there is a regional understanding that could sustain the peace that comes out of it.
03:48Of course, we are engaging, as you know, our prime minister was in China just before coming here to the
03:53U.S.
03:54We're engaging with all the great powers around the world.
03:56We're engaging with our partners in the region and beyond to make sure that there is an international understanding of
04:00what this crisis is and how we can get to the end goal and how we can see it.
04:04I want to get a kind of nuanced understanding of the world that we're hoping to go back to here
04:08from you.
04:09So we've heard from the President of the United States, there can't be a toll on the Strait.
04:13It can't be controlled by one nation or several nations, Oman, Iran, whomever.
04:18Is that Qatar's position as well, that you don't want to have any kind of toll levied on ships passing
04:22in there going forward, or is that something that could be negotiated around and that you would be amenable to?
04:26Listen, it's a dangerous precedent for all of us if these kind of naturally occurring waterways become the subject of
04:32sovereignty and become weaponized in the way that it has been during this crisis.
04:37No straits in the world, you know, the Strait of Denmark, the Dardanelles, the Malacca Strait, all of these straits
04:43are very important for international trade, very important for international economy, very important for security.
04:47And if we see this kind of weaponizing of the economy by control over the straits in this way, this
04:54will be replicated all around the world and we will see this become an international issue that all of us
04:59will be suffering from.
04:59We need to nip this in the bud, we need to make sure that it stops here and we get
05:03back to international maritime law, which is that all have access to this strait, whether lateral states or not, in
05:09accordance with international law.
05:11Are you surprised by the progression of the Omanis who went from, you know, mediating this nominal peace summit on
05:17behalf kind of of the United States to essentially feeling like they've been played and now it seems like, you
05:24know, correct me if I'm wrong, they are willing to go along with a tolling apparatus in the strait with
05:28Iran?
05:29No, I think the official statement from Iran was very clear, but their main objective is to get back to
05:34the status quo before the 28th of February and that they are working on an interim deal that would open
05:41the strait as the negotiations are ongoing.
05:44And we are closely aligned and closely working with the Omanis and the other regional partners that's, you know, within
05:49the GCC and the GCC plus two format to make sure that we all are coordinating with each other and
05:55we know exactly, you know, the steps each other are taking.
05:59We, as you know, we were hoping that the Salala meeting would be the moment where we would push this
06:04regional understanding further.
06:06Complications were in place over there, but we are still continuing these negotiations and talks over regional dialogue and regional
06:12stability.
06:13So much of the conversations here today are going to center on Qatar's economy going forward and this effort of
06:18diversification.
06:19Obviously, natural gas is so important and the devastation of that plant, hugely critical to the economic prospects of the
06:26country.
06:27Talk about the ways in which Qatar is kind of diversifying in this moment.
06:31I know that there was a deal signed between a gas company, a Qatari gas company, and BP in Venezuela,
06:36for instance.
06:36You're looking at Texas. You're looking at the U.S.
06:38How do you diversify in this crucible of conflict?
06:40Well, first of all, you will hear it from the host's mouth in just a minute, of course, of the
06:43prime minister and the various ministers who will speak here today, including the minister of energy of Qatar.
06:48These are the people who have their hands on the dial right now and are seeing this through and making
06:53sure that our economy is resilient.
06:55But let me tell you, the thing about the Qatar economy is that it was built for this kind of
06:59contingency.
07:00It was built to make sure that we have the right foundations, we have the right infrastructure to withstand such
07:07crises.
07:08We've seen off COVID, we've seen off regional turbulence before, we've seen off various conflicts in our region, and we've
07:17come out stronger from the other side.
07:19This is now not different.
07:20When it comes to diversification, as you know now, there is a dependency on non-hydrocarbon income is growing in
07:27Qatar.
07:28We've just launched numbers to that effect that have shown the resilience of the Qatari economy.
07:34But we are also, when it comes to energy, the move of Qatar energy into international investments in the field
07:41of energy has been a very successful move,
07:43as we have seen here in the Golden Path and the Golden Triangle and the work in Europe and all
07:47the projects that we are doing,
07:48even in Africa and other places to explore and to develop the sector.
07:52And now we are reaping the benefits of that.
07:55We are here at UNGO Week.
07:56There's going to be a lot of meetings.
07:57I'm sure you're going to be in a lot of meetings.
07:59Over the past decade, we've really watched Qatar turn into the Switzerland of the region, you know, the global mediators.
08:06Anytime there is a problem, you guys are there trying to solve it.
08:09Look, from a pragmatic perspective, there is a reason that you're doing this.
08:13We've also talked before about the kind of ethos and culture and why you like to be involved.
08:17But when it comes to engaging with particularly this administration in conflicts like that, how engaged are they?
08:24Are they easy to deal with?
08:25Are they difficult to deal with?
08:26Talk us through that relationship.
08:27And is it more stable now than it has been in the past?
08:30Well, let me tell you this.
08:31Since this administration was in transit to get to the Y-hat, we're working very closely with them when it
08:38comes to mediation.
08:38As you know, the 20-point plan, the Gaza deal, the ceasefire, all of that happened throughout the transition period
08:43and coming into the beginning of this administration.
08:47We've been working very closely with this administration in Latin America, in Asia, in the Middle East.
08:53And we have various mediations that are ongoing right now working with the administration.
08:57We believe that this is an engaging administration.
08:59It has open doors that previously were closed.
09:01It is ready to sit down and talk to whomever is in any conflict or situation that they need to
09:08talk to.
09:08And that kind of openness is something we appreciate, and we've been working very closely with them.
09:12Like with all of our international partners, of course, we don't see always eye to eye.
09:16But we are coordinating very heavily with each other.
09:19And I think the work with the administration right now grows of importance with what's happening in our region.
09:22And you gave the president a very nice airplane.
09:25Does he get to keep that plane after he leaves office?
09:27I mean, first of all, I won't comment on U.S. government policy.
09:30For us, this was a G2G deal between the Qatari military and the U.S. military.
09:35We have had these kind of deals before in the past, even regarding to similar planes where an agreement was
09:42done in similar ways with other countries.
09:44We see this as a purely burden-sharing relationship that has been growing for a long time.
09:51And it's not the first time that we have this kind of deal with the United States of America.
09:55And we continue doing it because we are our favorite partner.
09:58Last question here.
09:59As Christina said, a crucial week here for a lot of world leaders.
10:02You mentioned the shuttle diplomacy that's been taking place.
10:04Can we expect deliverables, objective deliverables, from the meetings that you're going to be having here this week,
10:09particularly when it comes to the conflict in the Middle East?
10:11How optimistic are you?
10:11Do you expect them?
10:12Well, I mean, I'm a pessimist by training, but an optimist by design.
10:16This is why we're always hopeful.
10:19I can't tell you that something will happen now, today, or tomorrow,
10:22but I can tell you that as we are speaking right now, the teams are working 24-7 to make
10:28sure that there is something happening.
10:30Of course, all of us in the region and beyond want to see that happen today, now,
10:33but the complications in the ground have to be realistic.
10:36We all are seeing them, and we're hoping that we can get past a lot of these hurdles through the
10:40next couple of days or weeks.
10:42However it longs, we'll continue.
10:44Do you feel the administration has shared your sense of urgency with this conflict?
10:48Yes, of course, and this is why, as I said, we're working very closely with them.
10:52You know, we're engaging with them on a daily basis.
10:54Just in the last couple of days, there have been a number of meetings with administration officials
10:59over the situation in our region, and we're continuing that dialogue.
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