Russia ready to help mediate in Qatar rift if asked; says Lavrov

Russia is ready to help mediate in the dispute between Qatar and Arab states if approached, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview released Monday.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt have cut ties and imposed sanctions on Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorism. Doha denies the charges.

“We are interested in this crisis being overcome, taking into account mutual concerns and finding solutions which will be acceptable for all participants of this process,” Lavrov told Kurdish television channel Rudaw, according to a transcript of the interview published on the foreign ministry’s website.

“We support the mediating efforts which are being made by the Emir of Kuwait … If as part of those efforts or in addition to them all sides think that Russia could also do something useful, we will be ready to respond to such appeals,” Lavrov said, according to the transcript.

The Russian foreign minister also said that creating a Russian-U.S. cybersecurity group was still relevant.

A Russian official who was at the recent G20 summit of global leaders in Hamburg said earlier that Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump had agreed to discuss cybersecurity questions, either via the United Nations or as part of a working group.

However U.S. and European intelligence and security officials have said they are not participating in such talks.

Source: Reuters