(MENAFN) US President Donald Trump to hold talks with senior Saudi, Emirati and Qatari leaders in the next couple of months, US officials said, amid efforts by Washington to try to resolve a dispute between the Gulf neighbors.
His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Saudi Crown Prince, Vice President of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Defense; His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces; and Qatari Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani are all planning to have bilateral visits with Trump in March and April, a senior U.S. official said.
The agenda will include setting up a Gulf Cooperation Council summit, the official said, which Washington hopes will be held later this year, as well as Middle East peace and Iran.
The UAE, along with Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Egypt, cut off travel and trade ties with Qatar last June, claiming that Doha supports terrorism and their arch-rival Iran while Doha denies the charges.
Washington is hoping to lay the groundwork for a summit by the summer.
"We would hope the dispute is resolved before the summit to allow maximum focus on other strategic concerns like Iran," another U.S. official said.
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