Qatar on Tuesday warned that the U.S.- Israel war on Iran is close to a tipping point where it could spiral out of control and called on all parties to cease any actions that would escalate the situation.
Qatar's Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari said at a media briefing that there are no winners, only losers in the war.
"The escalation left unchecked will get us into a situation where it cannot be controlled. We are very close to that point. This is why we have been urging all parties to find a resolution out of this, to find a way of ending this war before it spirals out of control. There are no winners in the continuation of this war, there are only losers," he said.
Al Ansari also said that the Strait of Hormuz is a natural feature, not a canal, and that all countries in the region have the right to use it freely. He also warned Israel against exploiting international attention on the U.S.- Israel war on Iran to continue infringing upon the rights of the Palestinian people.
Qatar warns US-Israel war on Iran close to spiraling out of control
Qatar warns US-Israel war on Iran close to spiraling out of control
The 32nd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministers Responsible for Trade Meeting concluded in east China's Suzhou on Saturday, yielding fruitful results and laying significant groundwork for the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in November.
The trade ministers' meeting focused on "building an open and predictable regional and multilateral economic and trade order" and "fostering new engines of innovative and dynamic trade and investment cooperation."
Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao briefed the media on the meeting's outcomes at a press conference.
Wang said the meeting issued a joint statement titled the Suzhou Statement, and approved the latest edition of the APEC Roadmap for Innovative, Competitive and Resilient Services.
All parties agreed to advance policy innovation and reform in services trade, build an open and predictable investment environment, improve regional trade facilitation and supply chain resilience, strengthen standards coordination, and enhance intellectual property protection, Wang told the media.
He also said that substantial progress was made on a framework document for regional digital trade cooperation and the ministers emphasized promoting inclusive AI development, strengthening AI-related trade, and bridging the digital divide to ensure shared benefits from digital transformation.
The minister noted that the outcomes of the meeting demonstrated strong cooperation willingness, highlighted an innovation-oriented approach, and reflected inclusiveness and shared benefits. "The fact that Asia-Pacific economies can come together, uphold the original aspiration of promoting trade and investment liberalization and facilitation while supporting economic growth and prosperity, and engage in in-depth discussions on the important issue of 'where multilateral and regional economic and trade cooperation is headed,' fully demonstrates that open regionalism and true multilateralism enjoy broad support, and that mutual success and shared development serve the fundamental interests of all economies," Wang said.
2026 APEC trade ministers' meeting concludes with fruitful results
