Qatar says it 'gives aid to Egypt'

Qatar is perceived as a backer of Egypt's the Muslim Brotherhood, but it says its only ever given aid to the country as a whole.

Qatar's foreign minister says his country has never given aid to Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood and that all assistance went to Egypt as a whole.

"As far as Qatar's support for the Muslim Brotherhood, there are some wrong impressions about the aid Qatar is providing," said Foreign Minister Khaled al-Attiya, whose country is perceived as a backer of the embattled Islamist group.

"Qatar has never given aid to an Egyptian group or an Egyptian political party. The aid has always been provided to Egypt," he told journalists after meeting French counterpart Laurent Fabius.

"Qatari aid began immediately after the revolution and continues today," he added, referring to the Arab Spring uprising that overthrew long-time Egyptian ruler Hosni Mubarak in 2011.

"We do not give aid to any political party."

Qatar on Wednesday forcefully condemned the crackdown by Egyptian security forces on supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood and Egypt's ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.

More than 750 people were killed in four days after the military and police launched a blistering crackdown on Islamist protest camps, sparking international condemnation.

Since the Egyptian army ousted Morsi last month amid massive protests against his rule, Qatar has repeatedly voiced solidarity with the Islamist leader's camp.