French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said in Doha on
Saturday that Paris wants to assist Kuwait-led mediation on the crisis between
Qatar and four other Arab states.
“France should be a facilitator in the mediation” led by
Kuwait, 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 Gulf tour aimed
at helping defuse the crisis pitting Qatar against Saudi Arabia, the United
Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt.
“France is very concerned by the sudden deterioration in
relations between Qatar and many of its neighbours,” said Le Drian, who also
met with the emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.
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“France is talking to all these countries to help in the
search for a solution,” he said, calling for “dialogue and calm” between the
Arab states concerned.
Le Drian also said that France counted on “reinforcing
cooperation with Qatar in the fight against terrorism, particularly in
combatting terrorism financing”.
His Qatari host said the fight against terrorism needed
collective efforts and “cannot be shouldered by one state”.
“Combatting terrorism also cannot be through practising
political and intellectual terrorism against a state,” Sheikh Mohammed said, in
reference to measures taken against Doha by its neighbours.
Le Drian is to travel on to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the
UAE, following a four-day mediation mission by US Secretary of State Rex
Tillerson that ended on Thursday without any announcement of progress towards
defusing mounting tensions in the Gulf.
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.
Riyadh and its allies imposed sanctions on Doha on June 5,
including closing its only land border, denying Qatar access to their airspace
and ordering their citizens back from the emirate.
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