Saudi Arabia suspends talks with Qatar over false reports from Doha
Saudi Arabia said yesterday that talks with Qatar had been suspended and accused Doha of issuing “false reports”.
The Qatari emir, Sheikh Tamim, on Friday called Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to attempt to initiate dialogue to resolve the Qatar crisis.
Sheikh Tamim expressed “his desire to sit at the dialogue table to discuss the demands of the four countries to ensure the interests of all”, the Saudi state news agency said.
The move, which could have broken a crisis between Qatar and its neighbours, came on Day 95 of the crisis, in which Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt cut all diplomatic and transport ties with Qatar over it is support for terrorist groups.
Before the announcement that the talks were off, the Saudi Press Agency said the crown prince “welcomed the desire of Sheikh Tamim” and would “announce the details after concluding deliberations with the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt”.
On Thursday, Kuwaiti emir Sheikh Sabah, who has been leading mediation in the crisis, met US president Donald Trump in Washington on Thursday.
After their meeting, Mr Trump called the Saudi crown prince, along with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, and Sheikh Tamim.
Salman Shaikh, a Gulf political consultant, said that the latest developments were a real achievement for Mr Trump’s efforts
“The president underscored that unity among the United States’ Arab partners is essential to promoting regional stability and countering the threat of Iran,” the White House said.
“The president also emphasised that all countries must follow through on commitments from the Riyadh Summit to defeat terrorism, cut off funding for terrorist groups and combat extremist ideology.”
Salman Shaikh, a Gulf political consultant, said that the latest developments were “a real achievement for Mr Trump’s efforts, especially if his interventions initiate serious talks between Saudi Arabia and Qatar”.
Mr Shaikh said that while Mr Trump “should have intervened earlier”, the news was well-received and there was “a sense of optimism”.
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr Anwar Gargash, tweeted a message of optimism: “When the issue is in the hands of Prince Mohammed bin Salman, it’s good news.”
That was later subdued when a Saudi foreign ministry source said talks with Qatar “shall be suspended until a clear statement explaining its position is made public and that its public statements are in conformity with its obligations”.
The ministry statement came after “false reports” by Qatar. The issue appears to be a dispute over protocol, in particular over how a report from the Qatari news agency failed to mention that it was Doha that had initiated the call on Friday.
Mr Shaikh conceded that the path for negotiations would not be smooth, and “this will require Mr Trump’s sustained personal engagement”.
“Tendency for negative messages is still possible,” he said.