25th June, 2017
Some demands set by four Arab states on Qatar in return for lifting sanctions will be “difficult to meet”, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says.
However, Mr Tillerson said the proposals provided a basis for dialogue leading to a solution of the crisis.
On Saturday, Qatar’s foreign minister rejected the list of 13 conditions imposed by Saudi Arabia and its allies, Egypt, the UAE and Bahrain.
They accuse Qatar of backing terrorism – a charge it denies.
Qatar has been under unprecedented diplomatic and economic sanctions for more than two weeks, with Iran and Turkey increasingly supplying it with food and other goods.
The four countries also want Qatar to reduce its ties with Iran and close a Turkish military base, setting a deadline on Friday of 10 days.
Among other things, the fellow Gulf states have demanded the closure of Al Jazeera TV, which is funded by the Qatari government.
Mr Tillerson said Qatar was assessing the demands and stressed there were “significant areas which provide a basis for ongoing dialogue leading to resolution”.
He urged the countries to sit together to stop terrorism and counter extremism.
“A lowering of rhetoric would also help ease the tension,” Mr Tillerson said.
After the demands were made on Friday, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said the dispute was “a family issue” that the countries should work out together, BBC reports.