Qatar has filed a wide-ranging legal complaint at the World Trade Organisation to challenge a trade boycott by Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and United Arab Emirates, Qatar’s WTO representative Ali Alwaleed al-Thani has told Reuters. The text of Qatar’s complaint sent to each country cites “coercive attempts at economic isolation” and spells out how they are impeding Qatar’s rights in the trade in goods, services and intellectual property. There was no immediate reaction from the three to Qatar’s complaint, which is likely to be circulated at the WTO later this week. Although it has also cut travel and diplomatic ties with Qatar, Egypt did not expel Qatari citizens or ask Egyptians to leave Qatar. Qatar is also raising the boycott at a meeting of the UN International Civil Aviation Organisation on Monday, Thani said.

Source: The Guardian July 31, 2017 17:34 UTC