Qatar says Gulf snub in Afghan signing unwise

The tiny nation of Qatar expressed disappointment Sunday that nearly all of its Gulf neighbours snubbed invitations to attend the weekend peace signing ceremony between the US and the Taliban.

Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammad bin Abdulrahman Al Thani told The Associated Press in an interview that the presence of Saudi, Bahraini and Emirati officials at Saturday's event in Doha could have been an opportunity to signal unity amid a festering, nearly three-year-old crisis among the Gulf Cooperation Council members that has left Qatar isolated.

"We were hopeful that our GCC brothers and neighbors would join us in yesterday's ceremony," al Thani said. "We invited them for the ceremony, but unfortunately they didn't show up."
"We were hoping to see them participating with us because we believe it is a cooperative approach between all the group of friends of Afghanistan," he said, adding later: "We have, unfortunately, an absence of wisdom. In some countries in the region we want them to be more wise."
"There is no clear reason for why it's been suspended, he said. "It was very surprising for us also given the timing with everything that is happening in the region. We believe that this is the time that should unite everyone toward one goal with all this turbulence that's happening with Iraq and Iran and the others. But unfortunately, it didn't happen."