Russia mediates efforts after Qatar’s delegation visit

CAIRO – 28 August 2017: Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov started a three-day Gulf tour Sunday to mediate in the Doha crisis with four Arab countries, following a Qatar's high-ranking delegation's visit to Moscow on Aug. 25.

Lavrov's visit is scheduled to last until Aug.30.

Qatar’s Minister of State for Defense, Khalid bin Mohammad Attiyah met with Defense Minister of the Russian Federation General of the Army Sergei Shoigu on August 25, to discuss mutual cooperation, in a bid to to expand Doha’s relations with Western countries.

Attiyah accompanied by a Qatari delegation participated in the Russian Army 2017 International Military Technical Forum to acquire technologies of producing Russian air defense systems, according to the

Russian Defense Talk newspaper

.

“Lavrov is scheduled to visit Kuwait, the UAE and Qatar,” Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement published by Al-Hayat newspaper on Friday.

Pan-Arab Al-Hayat newspaper said on Friday that Russia reaffirmed its support to the Kuwaiti mediation between the four Arab countries: Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, and Qatar.

The United Nations fully supports mediation efforts led by Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah to solve the Gulf crisis, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Sunday.

His “confirmation” of full support to Kuwaiti mediation came during his meeting with the speaker of the Kuwaiti National Assembly Marzouq Ali al-Ghanim. The UN Secretary-General is currently visiting Kuwait as part of a tour of the region, Kuwait News Agency KUNA reported on Sunday.

Guterres expressed thanks and appreciation for the leading role played by the Emir in the humanitarian domain. Kuwait’s First Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah al-Khaled al-Hamad al- Sabah also met with Guterres.

Guterres, who will travel to the occupied Palestinian territories today, stressed the importance of implementing the two-state solution and the clear UN position rejecting Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territories.

Meanwhile, Kuwait is expecting the arrival of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who was scheduled to start a Gulf tour on August 27.