Qatar’s defence minister said on Tuesday that his country’s long-term strategic ‘ambition’ is to join NATO.

Speaking on the anniversary of a year-long bitter Gulf diplomatic dispute, which has seen Qatar separated from its former regional allies, Khalid bin Mohamed Al-Attiyah said Qatar wanted to become a full member of the 29-country alliance.

“Qatar today has become one of the most important countries in the region in terms of the quality of armament” Attiyah told the official magazine of the Qatari defence ministry, Altalaya.

“Regarding the membership, we are a main ally from outside NATO. The ambition is full membership if our partnership with NATO develops and our vision is clear.”

Earlier this month it emerged that Saudi leaders threatened ‘military action’ and asked French President Emmanuel Macron to intervene to prevent Qatar’s proposed purchase of the Russian S-400 air defence missile system.