Qatar Says Holding Talks With Saudi Arabia to End Gulf Crisis

(Bloomberg) -- Qatar's Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed Al Thani said his country is holding talks with Saudi Arabia, offering the latest sign that an unprecedented standoff with the kingdom may soon be resolved.

“We have moved from a deadlock in the Gulf crisis to talks about a future vision regarding ties,” he said, according to Qatari broadcaster Al Jazeera. “There are talks with the brothers in Saudi Arabia and we hope they will yield positive results.”

The comments come after King Salman of Saudi Arabia invited Qatar's ruler, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, to attend this month's summit of Gulf Arab monarchies in Riyadh, a step that would mark a major breakthrough in attempts to end the feud.

Signs Mount That Qatar Embargo May End as Mediation Gears Up

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt cut diplomatic and trade links with Qatar in 2017 after accusing the gas-rich state of building close ties with their chief regional foe, Iran, and funding militant groups.

Qatar has repeatedly denied the charges and rejected a list of 13 demands by the Saudi-led bloc to resolve the crisis, including the shuttering of Al Jazeera.

“There is no longer talk about the 13 impossible demands,” Qatar's foreign minister said. “Negotiations are moving away from them.”

Last month, the minister met top Saudi officials in Riyadh in an effort to end the crisis, according to a person briefed on the matter. The meeting was followed by the Saudis' last-minute decision to participate in the Arabian Gulf Cup in Qatar. Teams from the U.A.E. and Bahrain followed suit.

To contact the reporter on this story: Nadeem Hamid in Washington at nhamid3@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Alaa Shahine at asalha@bloomberg.net, Dana El Baltaji

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