Kuwaiti FM visits Saudi to discuss Gulf standoff

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir met with his Kuwaiti counterpart Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah on Monday to discuss promoting bilateral ties and the Gulf crisis.

During the meeting in Jeddah, the two ministers "discussed bilateral fraternal relations, cooperation between the two sisterly and common issues," the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

At another meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Sheikh Sabah handed the host a written message addressed to Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud from Kuwaiti Emir Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

Kuwait has been playing the role of mediator since the Saudi-led Arab bloc, which also includes the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt, cut off diplomatic ties with Qatar in early June, citing Doha's support of terrorism and interference in their domestic affairs.

Qatar has strongly denied these charges, insisting that it has been fighting terrorism relentlessly.

No breakthrough has been achieved so far in Kuwait's efforts to set up a dialogue to end the two-month standoff in the Gulf, as Qatar has rejected a list of demands put forward by the Saudi-led bloc.

--IANS

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