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A file image shows Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani during a visit to Washington on September 14, 2020.
DOHA – Rivals Qatar and Saudi Arabia, along with neutrals Oman and Kuwait, said on Friday that progress had been made to resolve the Gulf crisis that has pitted a regional group of nations against Doha.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he hoped Washington would be able to negotiate a resolution, but warned that it was “out of the business of predictions in terms of timing,” indicating that a breakthrough may not be imminent.
Kuwait’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Ahmed Nasser al-Mohammed Al-Sabah, whose country is leading the mediation efforts, said all parties had expressed their enthusiasm for a “final agreement” during recent “fruitful discussions”, which they included the United States.
The foreign ministers of Qatar and Saudi Arabia, along with the Omani Foreign Ministry, tweeted similarly worded statements thanking Kuwait and the United States for their efforts to resolve the dispute, but did not elaborate on the talks.
Saudi Arabia led its allies the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt to cut ties with Qatar in June 2017, accusing it of backing radical Islamist movements and Iran, accusations Doha denies.
They later expelled Qataris residing in their countries, closed their airspace to Qatari planes and sealed their borders and ports, separating some families of mixed nationalities.
“We have made some progress at one point over a year ago, and then things have slowed down,” Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said at the Mediterranean Dialogues forum in Rome.
– ‘Unraveling the Qatar crisis’ –
“Right now, there are some movements that we hope will put an end to this crisis,” he said, without giving details.
“We believe that the unity of the Gulf is very important for the security of the region. This unnecessary crisis must end on the basis of mutual respect.”
Later, at the same event, which took place virtually due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud said that “a final agreement appears to be within reach. “.
Analysts had previously suggested that any breakthrough could only cover bilateral relations between Riyadh and Doha, excluding the United Arab Emirates in particular, which has been the most vocal critic of Doha since the crisis began.
Prince Faisal’s comments could mean a wider thaw is coming, but Abu Dhabi and Manama have yet to weigh in on the progress of efforts to resolve the crisis.
US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner was reported to have raised the Gulf crisis and lobbied for progress to end the dispute during a visit to Qatar on Wednesday.
Few details have been released about Kushner’s trip, which could have been his last chance to press on diplomatic issues in the region that has been a focal point for the outgoing Trump administration. Kushner also visited leaders in Saudi Arabia as part of the trip.
“It is time for this conflict to be resolved,” said Pompeo, who spoke by video conference at the Manama Dialogue conference on regional security.
Saudi Arabia’s closure of its airspace has forced Qatar Airways to fly over Iran, Riyadh’s archrival and longtime adversary of Washington, reportedly paying Tehran $ 100 million annually to do so.
The White House has stepped up its rhetoric against Iran as Trump’s presidency comes to an end, having abandoned an international agreement to curb Tehran’s nuclear program in 2018.
Previous mediation efforts to negotiate reconciliation between Qatar, a key US ally, and its rivals have been unsuccessful after apparent progress.
– Airlift? –
US national security adviser Robert O’Brien said in November that allowing Qatari planes to fly over Saudi Arabia via an “airlift” was a priority for the outgoing Trump administration.
In return, Qatar could agree to tone down coverage of Saudi Arabia by its media, including broadcaster Al Jazeera, according to an analyst, who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the issue.
Qatar has repeatedly said that it is open to talks without preconditions, although Doha has not publicly indicated that it would compromise the 13 demands of the boycotting countries.
Regional analyst Michael Stephens said Kuwait’s intervention was “a way to make sure they are not blamed if it goes wrong, and to make sure the other party understands that there is some good will to move forward.”
Qatari Deputy Foreign Minister Lolwah al-Khater told Al Jazeera that Kuwait’s comments marked “the beginning of the road to a solution, and it is an important and positive step.”
The UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, was “encouraged” by the events, said his spokesman at a press conference, and stressed “the importance of the unity of the Gulf.”
Qatar’s friend Turkey also welcomed the progress made.
“We are delighted with the positive progress in resolving the disagreement that has been occurring since June 2017 in the Gulf region,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
