Another negotiating table: Reconciling Gulf countries with Qatar

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday recalled the necessity of finding a solution to the three-year dispute between the Gulf countries, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, the Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt, stating that the administration of President Trump hopes for such a solution.

In a conversation with the Deputy Prime Minister of Qatar and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani at a working meeting at the State Department, Pompeo emphasized the importance of focusing on confronting Iranian activities in the Middle East.  

- The Trump administration wants to see a resolution to this dispute in order to reopen Qatar's air and land borders, which are currently blocked by other Gulf countries. We hope for progress on that path, Pompeo underlined.

Let us recall, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt severed diplomatic and trade ties with Qatar in June 2017, accusing the country's government of terrorism. Qatar rejected the accusations and in turn accused its neighbors of trying to undermine the country's sovereignty.

The US and Kuwait have tried to bring the parties to the negotiating table with the aim of reconciliation.

The Gulf dispute has hampered US efforts to confront Iran, which is vying for regional dominance with Saudi Arabia, Reuters writes.

The Gulf countries began boycotting Qatar by setting 13 demands – conditions that include, among other things, the closure of TV Al Jazeera, the closure of the Turkish military base, reducing ties with Iran, and severing ties with the Muslim Brotherhood organization.

Senior Middle East diplomat at the State Department, David Schenker, reported that he expects progress regarding the resolution of the dispute as the parties have already shown 'flexibility' in negotiations.