AFP & QNA

BRUSSELS PRIME minister and minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor al Thani said on Thursday that the time had come to “study all options” in seeking a way out of the Syrian crisis.

“We have to study all options to save the Syrian people,” he said after meeting European Parliament head Martin Schulz.

The premier is in favour of sending an international peacekeeping force to Syria, with an Arab “core,” and on Monday said he backed delivering arms to the Syrian opposition.

However, he denied any Qatari troops were on the ground in Syria. “That’s not true at all,” he said.

Schulz hailed Qatar for playing a “constructive” role in the crisis.

The prime minister also met NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.

During the meeting, they discussed bilateral relations between Qatar and NATO and the situation in Syria.

In a statement following the meeting, he said that the meeting that took place on Thursday in the Belgian capital “falls in the context of the exchange of views on the Syrian issue and a number of other issues that bind us either with the EU, the European Parliament or NATO.

“Today we tried to think about how to stop the killings in Syria,” he said. “We call for intervention as much as we call upon the Syrian authorities to take responsible action to stop such acts against unarmed civilians and against those whom they term as gangs because they are defending themselves.

“After watching the devastation we renew our call for the need to find a quick solution to this crisis. We call for stopping the killings and guaranteeing access for humanitarian aid and call on the Syrian government to accept the Arab initiative of January 22 that sets a road map out of the impasse to meet the demands of the Syrian people”.

On the discussions on the Syrian issue with the Europeans, HE the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister said “There are many ideas around this subject.

There are the contacts between Arab League Secretary-General Nabil al Arabi, and the Special Envoy to Syria Kofi Annan. Also, there are ideas we are studying on how to move on the matter before the next Istanbul meeting, because the situation doesn’t tolerate waiting. The Emir His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al Thani is also having many consultations with leaders on this issue.” On the Iranian nuclear programme and what was agreed upon with the West, he said, “We are against any military action against Iran. It is important that the issue be discussed by the two sides and a diplomatic solution found.”