Qatar-Saudi talks tackle disputes
Qatar says it has held talks with its neighbour Saudi Arabia in France over differences between the two energy-rich Gulf Arab states.
The discords, which led to an open row in 2002, have blocked the building of a two billion dollar gas pipeline.
“The meeting was in the framework of further developing ties and resolving any differences,” said Qatari Foreign Minister Shaikh Hamad bin Jasim al-Thani.
“With our leaderships and their wisdom, we will be able to resolve any possible discord.”
He told Aljazeera that Thursday’s meeting was attended by Qatar’s amir, Shaikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, Prince Salman bin Abd al-Aziz, the governor of the Saudi capital Riyadh and Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah.
The minister declined to say whether the talks touched on Qatar-based Aljazeera, whose outspoken programmes led to the 2002 row.
Another issue of contention has been Qatar’s low-level ties with Israel.
Kuwaiti role
The Kuwaiti daily al-Qabas quoted unnamed officials as saying the meeting, arranged by Kuwait, had been planned to be held on a yacht off the southern coast of France.
Qatar, which has the world’s third largest natural gas reserves, has a tentative deal to build the subsea pipeline for an estimated $2 billion to supply Kuwait with gas.
But Saudi Arabia has yet to approve the building of the pipeline that would cross its territorial waters.