The American site quoted Rubio as saying that “Qatar is a good partner for the United States and has helped in several files, including hosting talks between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda regarding the March 23 Movement crisis.” He explained that Doha continues to play a pivotal role in diplomatic mediation efforts.
Rubio also noted that his country will continue to coordinate with Doha on sensitive issues in the Middle East, as part of the effort to end existing conflicts and achieve lasting stability. The statements by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio regarding the importance of Qatar’s role come at a time when relations between Washington and Doha are undergoing a tough test.
This follows Israel’s airstrikes on Hamas targets inside Qatar last week, a first-of-its-kind move against a close US ally. Before heading to the region, Rubio described the attacks as “unfortunate” for the US administration, while emphasizing that these developments will not change the nature of the alliance between Washington and Tel Aviv.
He explained that his country will focus on assessing the implications of the Israeli strikes on efforts to reach a truce in Gaza.
