The United States is involved in mediating at the highest level to resolve the conflict between Qatar and its neighbors and is starting to see more flexibility in the parties' positions, US Assistant Secretary of State David Schenker said on Wednesday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 09th September, 2020) The United States is involved in mediating at the highest level to resolve the conflict between Qatar and its neighbors and is starting to see more flexibility in the parties' positions, US Assistant Secretary of State David Schenker said on Wednesday.
"There has been an awful lot of high level engagement here in the United State - President, Secretary, a lot of White House involvement. These are two sides that are dug in, these are long standing and ideological issues here," Schenker said during a webinar at the Brookings Institution. "We are trying to work through it. There has not been a fundamental shift that will push the door open right now but in our talks we are detecting a little bit more flexibility."
In June 2017, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates severed relations with Qatar and imposed a blockade on the country over its support of Islamist groups that they view as terrorist organizations.
Schenker called the conflict between US allies in the Middle East "a distraction from Iran."
