The Qatari and American diplomats said they were going to discuss developments in Afghanistan as well as the restoration of the 2015 nuclear accord.
Qatar’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani commended US Secretary of State Antony Blinken for Washington’s diplomatic efforts amidst the latest Russia-Ukraine tensions.
“Of course, the situation in Ukraine is keeping you busy and we commend all the diplomatic talks that you are taking,” said Sheikh Mohammed on Friday before their meeting in Germany on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.
Secretary Blinken, later said the meeting was “productive”, where he renewed his appreciation for Qatar and the US’ strategic ties.
Qatar’s FM calls for political reform to resolve Lebanon’s crises
“We discussed the crisis Moscow has precipitated and the urgent need for Russia to de-escalate tensions. I also thanked Qatar for continued assistance with Afghanistan,” Tweeted Blinken.
The agenda for their meeting also included the developments regarding the restoration of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). No further statements came out on the matter but reports suggest a deal between the US and Iran is imminent.
The Munich Security Conference is a three-day high profile event attended by officials including US Vice President Kamala Harris, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, and the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Participants discuss issues of common concern during the conference, which include efforts to restore the 2015 nuclear accord, mounting Russia-Ukraine tensions, and climate change.
Russia-Ukraine tensions
German media reported an absence in Russian representatives at the event as tensions between Moscow and Kyiv rise.
Ahead of the Munich Security Conference, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said that members of the Group of Seven (G7) were prepared to engage in “a serious dialogue” with Russia.
The bloc comprises of the UK, USA, Canada, Japan, Germany, France and Italy.
Earlier, Russian fighters in eastern Ukraine accused its rivals forces of targeting the Petrivske village.
“What is happening in the Donbas is very concerning news and potentially very dangerous,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
Ukraine’s Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said his country was “watching the divisions of the Russian troops, which number 129,000″. And put together with naval and air components, this figure reaches 149,000,” noted the Ukranian official.
Russia and Ukraine exchanged blame over ceasefire violations over the weekend, with the latter claiming that it recorded 60 breaches within 24 hours on Friday.
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg has warned that Europe is witnessing the largest build-up of troops since the Cold War.
“There can be no doubt that we have now the biggest concentration of military forces since the end of the Cold War in Europe,” he told German broadcaster ZDF.
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