Secretary of State Antony Blinken met yesterday, Thursday, with his Qatari counterpart Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, at the Department of State headquarters in Washington. The US secretary considered Qatar a vital partner for the US and expressed Washington's gratitude for Qatar's role in the peace talks on Afghanistan and the situation in Palestine.

سعدت بلقاء وزير الخارجية الأمريكي اليوم في واشنطن. أكدنا على أهمية الشراكة القطرية الأمريكية الاستراتيجية والتزامنا المشترك بتعزيز السلام والأمن. pic.twitter.com/n6czzGyEkk

— محمد بن عبدالرحمن (@MBA_AlThani_) July 23, 2021

The US Secretary added that the partnership with Qatar is not limited to the economic field and considered Qatar "a vital partner for the United States in so many different areas... but beyond that, really a partner in trying to advance peace, trying to advance progress in the region, and of course, to stand against terrorism - a vital ally in the effort against ISIS."

Met today with Deputy PM and Minister of Foreign Affairs @MBA_AlThani_ about Qatar’s generous assistance to the LAF, aid to Yemen, and its support for accelerating Afghanistan peace negotiations to reach a political settlement. We are committed to advancing peace in the region. pic.twitter.com/aVGzBlTjRQ

— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) July 22, 2021

On his part, the Qatari Foreign Minister expressed his hope that his country would play a bigger role in helping in mediating some of the conflicts that will help in maintaining stability in the region, noting that "the relationship between Qatar and the U.S. has been, for decades, nothing but growing."

Afghanistan, developments in the Iranian Nuclear Agreement, Lebanon, and Iraq, as well as the situation in the Gaza Strip and providing aid to Gaza, were among the issues the two discussed.

During the meeting, Al-Thani stressed that the only way to reach a political solution in Afghanistan would be to hold a comprehensive meeting that includes all the Afghan leaders and he reaffirmed the commitment of Qatar to promoting dialogue among Afghan brethren.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister underlined Qatar's unwavering position that considers the Palestinian cause a just cause and endorses the Palestinian people's legitimate rights and the establishment of an independent Palestine within the 1967 border, with the Holy Al-Quds as its capital.

Al-Thani emphasized the importance of an open and honest dialogue between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states and Iran in the course of achieving stability in the region.