Amiri envoy delivers letters in Oman, UAE and Bahrain
US reiterates support to Kuwait’s mediation efforts
KUWAIT: Amiri Envoy First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs and Acting Minister of Information Sheikh Mohammad Al-Abdullah AlMubarak Al-Sabah yesterday visited UAE, Oman and Bahrain to deliver letters by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah to the leaders of the GCC nations.
In Oman, the letter to Sultan Qaboos bin Said on the recent regional and international developments, was handed to Deputy Prime Minister for International Relations and Cooperation Affairs and Personal Representative of Sultan Qaboos Asa’ad bin Tariq bin Taimour Al-Said. The meeting was attended by Assistant Foreign Minister for the First Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister’s Office Ambassador Dr Sheikh Ahmad Nasser AlMohammad Al-Sabah and Kuwaiti Ambassador to Oman Fahad Al-Mutairi. In UAE, the letter to President of the UAE Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, was handed to UAE Vice President, Prime Minister, and Dubai Ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum.
In Bahrain, the delegation delivered a similar letter from His Highness the Amir to Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa. The letter has a bearing on the latest regional and international developments and several issues of mutual interest. The meeting was attended by Assistant Foreign Minister for the First Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister’s Office Ambassador Dr Sheikh Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah and Kuwaiti Ambassador to Bahrain Sheikh Azzam Mubarak Al-Sabah.
Meanwhile, two US envoys arrived in Kuwait at the start of a tour of Mideast states aimed at resolving a diplomatic rift between Qatar and four Arab countries. The official Kuwait news agency KUNA reported late on Monday that retired US Marine Gen Anthony Zinni and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Timothy Lenderking met with Kuwait’s Deputy Foreign Minister Khaled AlJarallah and reiterated Washington’s support for Kuwait’s efforts to mediate the crisis.
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain cut diplomatic and transportation links with Qatar in early June, alleging it supports extremists. Qatar denies the charge. The State Department says the envoys will also meet with leaders in all five countries over the coming days.
Timothy Lenderking, the US deputy assistant secretary of state for Gulf affairs, and retired US Marine Corps General Anthony Zinni “are in the Gulf region this week to engage with the parties involved and support the Government of Kuwait’s mediation efforts,” a State Department official said on condition of anonymity. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, whose own trip to the Gulf in July resulted in a US-Qatari accord on combating terrorism financing but no major breakthrough in the dispute, announced Zinni and Lenderking’s mission last week. Zinni’s presence would help “maintain a constant pressure on the ground, because I think that’s what it’s going to take,” Tillerson told reporters last week. “There’s only so much you can do with telephone persuasion. But we are committed to see this disagreement resolved, restore Gulf unity, because we think it’s important to the long-term effort to defeat terrorism in the region.” — Agencies