Qatar delivers response to demands from Saudi-led bloc

QATAR - Qatar’s foreign minister has arrived in Kuwait carrying an official response to a list of demands from the Saudi-led bloc, according to Qatari officials in Doha.

This is the latest development in the rift between Qatar and four Arab states. Envoys worked steadily this weekend to tackle the crisis, a surprising rupture that began last month and spawned diplomatic tensions throughout the region. Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani was to deliver the letter from the ruler of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, to the Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, who has been the main mediator during this crisis. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt agreed late Sunday to a request from the Emir to extend by 48 hours the deadline for meeting their demands. The four countries abruptly suspended diplomatic relations and cut off land, sea and air travel to Qatar on June 5, accusing it of supporting terrorism and destabilizing the Gulf region. Qatar has rejected the accusations, calling them “unjustified” and “baseless.”

The coalition later gave Qatar 10 days to meet its list of 13 demands including shutting down the Al-Jazeera media network, reducing diplomatic ties to Iran and cutting ties with terrorist organizations with a deadline of July 3. There was a flurry of diplomatic activity ahead of the deadline over the weekend, with Qatar’s foreign minister saying the demands couldn’t be met. The leaders of the United States and Russia have also stepped into the fray, expressing their concerns about the standoff.

(CNN.COM)