Qatar ‘taking steps’ to resolve tensions with Gulf neighbours
Saudi official cites Qatar’s passage of a law against financing terrorism
Washington: Qatar has taken some steps toward resolving its tensions with its Gulf neighbors but must still do more, a senior Saudi official said in Washington.
Encouraging moves include Qatar’s passage of a law against financing terrorism, according to the official who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity.
However, on his part, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Anwar Gargash, said that he surprised by Qatar's continuous media attacks on "sisterly Saudi Arabia" in a tweet on Friday.
In 2017, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt broke off diplomatic, transportation and trade ties with Qatar over its support for terrorism and sheltering wanted militants.
Officials from the Arab Quartet has accused Qatar of reneging on a 2014 pact it signed in the Saudi capital to mend its ways.
They also say Qatar has given millions of dollars to Iran-allied militias in Lebanon and Iraq.
The anti-Qatar quartet presented a list of demands to Doha to end the dispute.
They included stopping support for radical groups, downgrading ties with Iran and shutting down the Qatari Al Jazeera television network seen as a mouthpiece of the banned Muslim Brotherhood.
Saudi Arabia has consistently said that complying with the demands is key to solving the crisis.