NEW YORK: The Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani speaks during the 72nd session of the United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters on Tuesday. — AP

NEW YORK: Qatari Amir Sheikh Tamim Al-Thani said Tuesday he highly appreciated the "honest" mediation of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah to solve the Gulf crisis. "I highly appreciate the honest mediation of my brother His Highness the Amir of the State of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah," the Qatari Amir said in a speech before the UN General Assembly in New York.

Kuwait has been mediating between Qatar on one side, and Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt on the other, a mediation that has won regional and international backing. Sheikh Tamim thanked all countries who supported the Kuwaiti mediation. He meanwhile called for "unconditional" dialogue with the four countries to solve the crisis. "I call again for an unconditional dialogue based on the respect of sovereignty," Sheikh Tamim.

Sheikh Tamim said that Qatar fighting terrorism and its ideologies. He called on countries around the world to join hands in fight against all forms of terrorism. Last June, three GCC countries plus Egypt decided to severe ties with Qatar, resulting in diplomatic tension in the region.

Since then, Kuwait and other major global players were focusing on efforts to end the dispute. Sheikh Tamim, meanwhile, called for achieving a two-state solution for the Palestinians, solving the Syrian conflict peacefully on basis of communique of the Geneva I conference, and ending the crisis in Yemen based on UN Security Council resolution 2216. - KUNA