Tillerson to join talks in Jeddah to end Qatar crisis

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US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will join a meeting of foreign ministers of the Arab countries boycotting Qatar in Jeddah on Wednesday, said a statement of the Egyptian foreign ministry on Tuesday.

Foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt along with Tillerson will meet on coordinating efforts to deal with Qatar in the future, the statement said.

"The meeting would be convened in light of coordinating stances and stressing solidarity of the four Arab countries in future dealing with Qatar," the statement added.

The Saudi-led four countries along with other states have severed diplomatic ties with Qatar early last month and cut off sea, land and air links to the tiny rich Gulf nation.

They accused Doha of supporting terrorism, interfering in their internal affairs and seeking closer ties with Iran, a Saudi rival. Qatar has denied the accusations.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (L) meets with Kuwait's Foreign Minister and First Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Khalid Al-Hamad Al-Sabah (R) at Bayan Palace in Hawally, Kuwait on July 10, 2017. /VCG Photo

The statement reiterated the meeting underlines the four countries' commitment to the procedures taken against Qatar, based on its violation for international norms and laws, support for terrorism and extremism and Doha's negative intervention in the Arab countries' domestic affairs.

Following his meeting with Kuwait's Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah and Britain's National Security Advisor Mark Sedwill on Monday, Tillerson arrived in Qatar Tuesday to discuss the efforts for solving the Gulf crisis and means of combating terrorism.

Kuwait, as a mediator for solving the crisis, the US and Britain have called for "a rapid end" to the crisis between Qatar and its Arab neighbors through dialogue.

They urged all parties to "contain this crisis rapidly, and find a solution through dialogue as soon as possible."

(Source: Xinhua)