Qatar diplomatic crisis: France aims to be 'facilitator' in talks, urges Gulf states to resolve standoff
French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian stopped in Qatar at the start of a Gulf tour aimed at helping defuse the crisis pitting Qatar against Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt
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French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian visited Qatar at the start of a Gulf tour aimed at helping defuse the crisis pitting Qatar against Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt. He later flew to Jeddah for talks with Saudi officials. Reuters
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“France should be a facilitator in the mediation” led by Kuwait, Le Drian told reporters after talks with his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani. AP
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Qatar’s foreign minister welcomed France’s support for mediation aimed at finding a solution “based on constructive dialogue… and respect of state sovereignty and international law”. “We look forward to France’s support of the Kuwaiti mediation and American efforts," he said. AP
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Riyadh and its allies imposed sanctions on Doha on 5 June, including closing its only land border, denying Qatar access to their airspace and ordering their citizens back from the emirate. They accused Doha of supporting extremism and being too close to their arch-rival Iran. In this image, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, right, receives Le Drian in Jiddah, Saudi Arabia. AP
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Le Drian also met his counterpart Adel Jubeir. Jubeir said Saudi Arabia would present France with “comprehensive dossiers of the negative acts committed by Qatar over years”, adding that a similar file was given to United States Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. He said, however, that Riyadh hopes the crisis could still be solved “within the Gulf house”. AP
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Le Drian agreed that “solving this crisis should be done by the Gulf countries themselves”, reiterating Paris’s support for Kuwaiti mediation. “France does not want to substitute the mediator… It wants to be a facilitator by joining efforts of other countries,” he stressed, adding that Tillerson’s initiative is “suitable.” Saudi foreign minister Adel al-Jubeir, right, shakes hands with Le Drian during a join press conference in Jiddah, Saudi Arabia. AP
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