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Tillerson in Gulf to Discuss Qatar’s Crisis | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in Washington, US June 21, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque


Dammam- US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is scheduled on Monday to start a Middle East tour on the Qatari crisis.

Kuwait will be the first stop in his visit to the region after media reports said it received a special envoy from the emir of Qatar.

Tillerson’s tour comes after a tour by his British counterpart Boris Johnson who said that a prompt solution to the crisis is unlikely.

Observers further expressed pessimism towards reaching a quick solution to the crisis amid Qatar’s intransigence in responding to the four states’ demands.

Tillerson and Johnson will discuss joint efforts to contain the crisis with Qatar during a meeting ahead of the US Secretary of State’s arrival to Kuwait from Istanbul.

Johnson stressed in Kuwait the importance of achieving progress in tackling the funding of terrorism in the region.

Amidst this pessimism, Doha announced on Sunday that it had formed a government committee to tackle requests of compensations by some individuals and firms that were affected by the sanctions imposed on Qatar and its residents in the Gulf.

Doha hinted that it would file lawsuits at French and British courts.

Attorney General of Qatar Ali bin Fatis said in a news conference in Doha that the committee will work on receiving requests from firms and individuals and that cases will be studied before referring them to the Qatari justice or to courts in other states, including France and Britain.

Britain’s Foreign Secretary saw at the conclusion of his tour that it is possible to achieve progress in reducing tension between Qatar and its neighbors but did not expect a prompt solution.

He expressed support to the Kuwaiti role as a mediator in this crisis and stressed the importance of achieving progress in tackling the financing of terrorism in the region.