Middle-east Arab News Opinion | Asharq Al-awsat

Washington’s Envoys in Abu Dhabi, Manama, Cairo to Solve Qatari Crisis | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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US envoys retired general Anthony Zinni, pictured, and deputy assistant secretary of state for Arabian Gulf affairs Timothy Lenderking arrived in Kuwait on August 7, 2017 for the start of a shuttle diplomacy tour to defuse the Qatar crisis. David McNew / Getty Images


Dammam, Cairo- US envoys retired general Anthony Zinni and deputy assistant secretary of state for Arabian Gulf affairs Timothy Lenderking continued on Thursday their regional shuttle tour as part of the US efforts to break the stalemate in the dispute with Qatar by holding talks in both Manama and Abu Dhabi.

Meanwhile, Kuwait races against time to achieve a positive progress in the current stalemate ahead of a trip planned by its emir Sheikh Sabah to the US next September 6 to discuss the Qatar crisis, in which Sheikh Sabah has been leading mediation efforts.

Kuwaiti sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Kuwaiti mediation aims to set a framework for solving the crisis, by convincing all parties to return to the six principles announced in a meeting of the foreign ministers of the four Arab states in Cairo on July 5.

On Thursday, the Bahrain news agency said King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa received the two US envoys at Al-Safriya Place and “reviewed the strong historic relations binding the two friendly countries and ways of further bolstering joint ties at all levels.”

The King and the two envoys also talked the latest regional and international developments and issues of mutual interest.

In Abu Dhabi, the two envoys were received by Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Later, Zinni and Lenderking wrapped their Thursday’s visits by holding talks in Cairo with Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, who told the two US envoys that Egypt insists that the diplomatic crisis with Qatar would only end if Doha complies with the demands presented by the four Arab countries that cut ties with Qatar in early June.

“Doha must end its support to terrorist organizations as a condition to end the dispute with its Arab neighbors,” a statement by the Egyptian foreign ministry said.

The two men are assigned by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to discuss the Qatari crisis in the region.

Separately, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) rejected Qatar’s move to politicize the crisis with the four boycotting states concerning its air traffic.

“The ICAO’s Council acknowledged that political outstanding issues between these concerned states should be tackled in the international forums away from the ICAO after its council has taken note of the Qatari complaint, the reply of the four counter-terrorism nations and heard from the ICAO’s Secretariat General about the flow of the air traffic over the international waters,” said a statement issued by the Montreal-based agency that monitors global air travel.