Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is headed to Kuwait next week, where he will speak to senior Kuwaiti officials efforts to resolve the Gulf dispute involving Qatar, a U.S. ally.
The State Department said in a brief statement Thursday evening that Tillerson will make the trip on Monday at the invitation of the emir of Kuwait, following stops in Ukraine and Turkey.
Kuwait has been trying to piece together an agreement between Qatar and several of its Gulf neighbors after they accused the country of funding and promoting terrorism.
Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates have all cut off diplomatic ties with Qatar until the country meets their demands, including paring back relations with Iran and putting an end to the state-funded Al-Jazeera news organization.
Tillerson’s involvement in the talks signals the U.S. is taking a more direct role in resolving the conflict.
His boss, President Trump, may represent an obstacle for Tillerson as Trump said as recently as the end of last month during a fundraiser that he supports the Saudi Arabian-led bloc of countries that have blockaded Qatar by calling it a necessary part of “the hard fight” against those who fund terrorism.
