French FM in Kuwait for Gulf crisis talks

Kuwait City : French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian held talks with top officials in Kuwait yesterday in a bid to bolster the emirate’s attempts to mediate in the Gulf crisis. 

Le Drian met with Kuwaiti emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah and Kuwait’s foreign minister, state news agency KUNA said, for talks on the regional rift. 

He said on Saturday that Paris wants to assist Kuwait-led mediation on the crisis between Qatar and four other Arab states after holding talks in Doha and Jeddah.

Le Drian stopped in Qatar at the start of a Gulf tour aimed at helping defuse the crisis.

He later flew to Jeddah for talks with Saudi officials.

“France should be a facilitator in the mediation” led by Kuwait, Le Drian told reporters after talks with his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani.

Le Drian reiterated the same statement in Jeddah.

“France is very concerned by the sudden deterioration in relations between Qatar and many of its neighbours,” he said in Doha where he also met the emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.

“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 arrived in the region after a four-day mediation mission by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson ended on Thursday with no 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.