Egypt Minister Hails Steps Toward Resolving Gulf-Qatar Feud

(Bloomberg) -- Egypt’s top diplomat hailed steps toward potentially resolving a three-year dispute that’s seen Qatar at odds with its Gulf Arab neighbors as well as his own country.

There’s been “progress that happened over the past days toward a frame for cooperation to resolve the issues that had led to this situation,” Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said in a Tuesday interview with TeN TV, praising the recent involvement of Kuwait.

“We’re always ready to deal positively with anything that leads to Arab solidarity and eliminate any tensions,” Shoukry said, adding that any deal “has to be inclusive” and take into account “all the factors that led to this situation.”

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt in 2017 severed diplomatic, trade and travel ties with Qatar, accusing it of bankrolling militant groups and undermining a regional bid to isolate Iran. The tiny, gas-rich emirate has for decades given shelter to Islamist dissidents and at times assisted countries governed by the Muslim Brotherhood, but denies accusations it funds that group directly or supports terrorism.

Saudi Arabia and Qatar last week acknowledged progress in mending the Gulf rift, in a renewed push that’s being nudged by a Trump administration keen to rack up foreign policy gains in its final days.

The UAE’s state minister of foreign affairs, Anwar Gargash, said Tuesday on Twitter that his country appreciates Kuwaiti and U.S. bids toward strengthening solidarity in the Gulf region and supports Saudi Arabia’s efforts in that regard.

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