UAE submits complaints to United Nations over Qatar jet 'interception'
Notes submitted to UN Security Council and the United Nations General Assembly cite 'irresponsible behaviour'
The UAE said on Thursday it has submitted a note to the presidents of the UN Security Council and the United Nations General Assembly after Qatari jets came within little more than 3km of Emirati passenger flights earlier this week.
The move, in accordance with the provisions of the UN Charter, following Qatar's "threat to the lives of civilians" during the incidents on Monday, state news agency WAM reported.
The note submitted by the UAE describes "irresponsible behaviour by the State of Qatar" and an "unjustifiable escalation and threat to the safety of civil flights" in contravention of international law.
The UAE has requested that this document be registered among the official documents of both the Security Council and the General Assembly of the United Nations.
The UAE has also sent two similar memoranda to the secretary-general of the Arab League and the secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council, requesting that they be circulated to the member countries of both organisations as official documents, WAM added.
The UAE also said on Wednesday that it will lodge a complaint with the International Civil Aviation Organisation, according to Saif al-Suwaidi, head of the general civil aviation authority.
The United Arab Emirates said on Monday that Qatari fighter jets had "intercepted" two passenger flights headed for Bahrain, drawing a swift denial from Gulf rival Qatar.
Abu Dhabi is also looking at re-routing flights to Bahrain to avoid Qatari airspace, as a feud between Qatar and its Gulf neighbours escalates.
Bahrain's civil aviation authority identified the aircraft as Emirates flight EK837 and Etihad flight EY23B. Bahrain too plans to file a complaint to the ICAO, a Montreal-based specialised agency of the United Nations.
In June, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt broke diplomatic relations and most trade links with Qatar, accusing it of ties to Islamist extremists and Saudi arch-rival Iran.
Qatar denies the allegations and and accuses the four states of aiming to incite the overthrow of its government.
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