Qatar Ready for Talks After Arab States Reply to US Settlement Proposal – Doha

© REUTERS / Naseem ZeitoonA man walks on the corniche in Doha, Qatar, June 15, 2017
A man walks on the corniche in Doha, Qatar, June 15, 2017 - Sputnik International
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Qatar is ready to discuss the time and location of possible negotiations with the blockading Arab states after their response to US settlement initiatives voiced by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, the Qatari Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.

People sit on the corniche in Doha, Qatar, June 15, 2017. - Sputnik International
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MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Earlier in July, Tillerson made a Middle East trip and held talks to representatives of Qatar and Arab states locked in a diplomatic row with Doha. Following the trip Tillerson said that the United States supported the mediation efforts made by Kuwait, adding that Washington could make some proposals on crisis settlement. The US initiative reportedly implies laying the ground for direct talks between parties of the crisis, counterterrorism measures as well as easing tensions by suspending hostile media campaigns.

“Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said that the United States wants to end the Gulf crisis and there is no response from the siege countries to the American proposals to resolve it … Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani stressed that the US proposals must be first responded to before any talk about setting a date or place for dialogue,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement referring to Al-Thani’s remarks to the Al Jazeera broadcaster.

The minister pointed out that Qatar appreciated the diplomatic efforts made by Kuwait as well as by Russia and the United States.

“The siege countries, the foreign minister said, are required to respond to the American proposals so that to discuss the issue of dialogue to resolve the crisis and that Qatar's position is advanced ahead of the position of the siege countries, adding that there may be pressure in the coming days on these countries,” the statement said without going into details about the possible pressure.

On June 5, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates broke off diplomatic relations and communication with Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorism and interfering in their internal affairs. The Maldives, Mauritius, and Mauritania followed suite, while Jordan and Djibouti reduced the level of their diplomatic missions in Qatar.

In late June, Kuwait, acting as a mediator in the crisis, handed over to Doha the ultimatum of the four Arab states with 13 demands, including the requests to severe Qatar’s relations with Iran, close Turkey’s military base in Qatar and shut down the Al Jazeera TV channel, as well as to end support for the Muslim Brotherhood, a terrorist organization banned in Russia.

On July 5, the four Arab states confirmed Doha's refusal to comply with their demands and expressed regret over such a position.

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