Kuwaiti Emir sends message to Qatar ruler
In recent weeks, Kuwaiti has upped efforts to defuse Gulf spat
Kuwait City: Kuwait’s Emir Shaikh Sabah Al Ahmad had sent a message to Qatar’s Emir Tamim Bin Hamad, Kuwait media reported Thursday, as Kuwait has recently intensified its efforts to resolve a long-running diplomatic row pitting Doha against a Saudi-led bloc.
The verbal message was conveyed by head of the Kuwaiti parliament Marzouq Al Ghanem at a meeting with the Qatari emir in Doha.
The message dealt with ties between both countries and the latest developments in the region, media reports said without details.
Al Ghanem was in Qatar to attend the Gulf Cup, the region’s most prestigious football tournament, which kicked off in Doha on Tuesday.
In June 2017, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt broke off diplomatic and transportation links with Qatar over its support for extremist groups.
Kuwait has since attempted to mediate in the row and recently sounded upbeat about resolving it.
Earlier this month, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain announced sending their national teams to play in the Gulf Cup, a move seen as a sign of de-escalation in tensions.
In late 2017, the three countries stayed away from the tournament that was due to be held in Qatar, but they reversed their non-participation after the championship was switched to Kuwait.
The anti-Qatar quartet has repeatedly demanded Doha to comply with a set of conditions to mend ties. The demands include Qatar’s severance of links with militant and terror groups and scaling down ties with Iran, accused of meddling in Arab affairs.
Qatar has refused the conditions, saying they violate its sovereignty.