Qatar Dismisses Involvement In EU Corruption Case

Qatar on Sunday reiterated its denial of any involvement in a corruption case being investigated by the Belgian authorities involving people linked to the European Parliament.

A statement on Sunday by a diplomat from Qatar's mission to the European Union said "preconceived prejudices" led the parliament to vote on Thursday to suspend all work on legislation involving Qatar and to bar Qatari representatives from its premises.

The suspension affects legislation linked to visa liberalization, an EU-Qatar aviation agreement and planned visits until the allegations have been confirmed or dismissed.

The diplomat said; "The decision to impose such a discriminatory restriction that limits dialogue and cooperation on Qatar before the legal process has ended, will negatively affect regional and global security cooperation, as well as ongoing discussions around global energy poverty and security.

"We firmly reject the allegations associating our government with misconduct.

"Qatar was not the only party named in the investigation, yet our country has been exclusively criticized and attacked."