US talks with Saudi, allies end without fixing Qatar rift

Rasa - Talks between US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and several Persian Gulf Arab states aimed at ending a rift with Qatar have come to an end without any breakthrough.

News ID: 430951

Date: 13 July 2017 - 23:02

RNA - On Wednesday, Tillerson returned to Kuwait from Saudi Arabia without issuing a statement on the outcome of his talks with Saudi officials, including dignitaries.

"We're happy to see this continuous cooperation between us, and to even strengthen and increase it further without limits," said Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud in relation to Tillerson’s trip.

The US State Department has announced that Tillerson will be traveling to Qatar on Thursday to brief Qatar's Foreign Minister Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on his talks in Jeddah.

"I appreciate the joint interests that we share, our two countries, our mutual interests here in terms of stability for the region and economic prosperity for the region as well. It is a very important and strong partnership between the United States and Saudi Arabia," said Tillerson.

On Tuesday, Tillerson signed an agreement with Al Thani aimed at combating "terrorism financing," a deal Saudi Arabia and its allies branded as being “insufficient.”

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain all cut off diplomatic ties with Qatar on June 5, after officially accusing it of “sponsoring terrorism.”

On June 23, Saudi Arabia and its allies released a 13-point list of demands, including the severance of all Qatar’s ties with the Muslim Brotherhood and Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement.

847/940