Recent talks aimed at ending a Gulf dispute that is more than three years old were fruitful and the concerned parties are keen to reach an agreement, Kuwait’s foreign minister said on Friday.
The minister Ahmad Al-Sabah said this in a brief televised statement in Kuwait.
In 2017, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt severed diplomatic and transportation links with Qatar, accusing it of supporting militant groups, an accusation that Doha denies.
Kuwait has been trying to mediate in the crisis ever since.
“As part of reconciliation efforts … fruitful talks were held recently where all sides confirmed their keenness on Gulf and Arab solidarity and stability,” Al-Sabah said.
They are also keen to “reach a final agreement,” he added.
He said the talks were part of efforts by Kuwaiti Emir Nawaf Al-Sabah and U.S. President Donald Trump to solve the crisis.
The minister also expressed gratitude for the “valuable efforts exerted by Jared Kushner,” Trump’s advisor who visited both Qatar and Saudi Arabia this week and held talks with their leaders.
Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed Al-Thani welcomed the Kuwaiti statement as “an imperative step towards resolving” the crisis.
“We express our gratitude to the state of Kuwait for their mediation and the U.S. for their efforts.
“The interest and security of the people of the Gulf and the region remain our top priority,” Qatar’s top diplomat wrote on Twitter.
In December 2019, Qatar confirmed it held talks with Saudi Arabia, though the negotiations failed to mend the rift.
Earlier on Friday, a Al-Thani cknowledged there has been some progress due to the recent talks, but refused to predict a time frame for solving the crisis.
“Right now there are some movements that we hope … will put an end to the crisis,” the Qatari minister told the Rome Med 2020 conference.
“There are differences and disagreements that need to be discussed and overcome, he said.
“Any kind of resolution should be a holistic resolution, Al-Thani further said.
When asked if a bilateral rapprochement between Riyadh and Doha could be possible without the involvement of the other three countries: the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt he sounded positive.
“We are hopeful things will move in the right direction. Right now we cannot predict whether it is going to be imminent,” he said.
`The conflict has taken too long … and I think it will need time after resolution to heal.”
