No quick end is likely to the row between the four Arab states and Qatar if the comments by the UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr Anwar Gargash, are any indication.

"We are headed for a long estrangement. We are very far from a political solution involving a change in Qatar's course, and in light of that, nothing will change and we have to look for a different format of relations," Dr Anwar Gargash tweeted on Friday.

Defending the Gulf Arab states' action, the UAE minister said in another tweet: "The four boycotting countries have each and every right to protect themselves, shut down their borders and safeguard their stability. The measures they had taken, in this context, will continue and will be boosted."

Indicating that the UAE and other Arab states are in no mood to relent, the UAE minister said: "We are moving towards a boycott, which will prolong on the basis of the evidences before us. As Qatar cries over political sovereignty, the four states are also exercising their sovereignty."

Source: Khaleej Times