Tabnak – The diplomatic spat is still going on between Qatar and the Saudi-led bloc of Arab nations, with no immediate end in sight for the unprecedented crisis which has so far had regional as well as international consequences. Meanwhile, it seems that a new mediator wants to try its chance for bringing together again the Persian Gulf Arab nations.
Local sources quote French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian as saying in Doha on Saturday that Paris wants to assist mediation on the crisis between Qatar and four other Arab states. "France should be a facilitator in the mediation", Le Drian told reporters following talks with his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.
Le Drian flew in to Qatar at the start of a Persian Gulf tour aimed at helping defuse the crisis pitting Qatar against Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt. "France is very concerned by the sudden deterioration in relations between Qatar and many of its neighbors," said Le Drian, who also met with the Amir of Qatar.
The reports also indicate that France has called on the Saudi-led quartet to immediately lift sanctions on Qatari nationals. "France calls for the lifting, as soon as possible, of the measures that affect the populations in particular, bi-national families that have been separated or students,” Le Drian said.
This is while, the Qatar officials themselves believe that current unprecedented diplomatic row "cannot be solved in a day.” Qatari Foreign Minister made the remarks in a joint press conference with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu in Turkey’s capital Ankara on Friday, describing the current standoff as a "tense crisis.”
The international mediating efforts are going at the same time as the US, a partner of both Qatar and the other Persian gulf Arab nations has yet to make clear its stance regarding the crisis.
In this vein, ABC News believes that Donald Trump administration is sending mixed messages on Qatar and the crisis among US Persian Gulf allies. In other words, although US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has been trying to keep the relations with Qatar as it was before the crisis, Trump has been far more critical of Qatar, blasting the country for financing terrorism and even seeming to take credit for the Saudi-led blockade.
Earlier this week, Tillerson visited Qatar and Saudi Arabia, holding talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman Al Saud and Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to mend the widening rift, but all to no avail.
The unprecedented crisis in the Persian Gulf region unfolded on June 5, when Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt severed ties with Qatar, officially accusing Doha of supporting "terrorism" and destabilizing the Middle East, allegations that Qatar says are unjustified and stem from false claims and assumptions.
To further pressure Qatar, Saudi Arabia has totally closed its land border with its tiny neighbor, through which much of Qatar's food supply crossed. Iran and Turkey are now providing Qatar's required food supplies.
