World Trade Organization sets up panel on Qatar-UAE crisis

GENEVA – The World Trade Organization has established a panel to decide on Qatar’s complaint against measures imposed on Doha by the United Arab Emirates for its alleged financial support for militant groups.

Qatar insists UAE’s actions violate its rights and those of other countries by denying freedom of transit to Qatar. The UAE says the measures are allowed according to an exception under WTO rules for national security reasons.

Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in June launched an economic boycott of Qatar and closed land, air and sea access to it. Qatar long has denied supporting extremists.

Countries including the United States, China and South Korea argued on Wednesday that the 22-year-old WTO is not the right place to resolve the matter.