- Title: U.S. and Qatar agree to tackle terrorism financing
- Date: 11th July 2017
- Summary: DOHA, QATAR (JULY 11, 2017) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** QATARI FOREIGN MINISTER, SHEIKH MOHAMMED BIN ABDULRAHMAN AL-THANI, AND U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE, REX TILLERSON, ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) QATARI FOREIGN MINISTER, SHEIKH MOHAMMED BIN ABDULRAHMAN AL-THANI, SAYING: "We signed a memorandum of understanding between the two countries to combat financing terrorism. This memorandum comes in light of the continuous bilateral cooperation between the two countries, the USA and Qatar, and a result of the mutual work in order to halt the mechanisms of terrorism financing, and the exchange of experiences and information. This is in light of the accusations against Qatar that it finances terrorism by the four countries putting Qatar under siege, and here is Qatar, the first country to sign an executive programme with the U.S. to combat terrorism financing; and we urge the rest of the sieging countries to join this initiative." (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE, REX TILLERSON, SAYING: "I am here in Qatar today carrying with me the same spirit which President Trump travelled in Riyadh with in May. The United States has one goal: drive terrorism off the face of the earth. The president said and I quote, "Every country in the region has an absolute duty to ensure that terrorists find no sanctuary on their soil. The agreement which we both have signed on behalf of our governments, represents weeks of intensive discussions between experts. It reinvigorates the spirit of the Riyadh summit. The memorandum lays out a series of steps the two countries will take over the coming months and years to interrupt and disable terror financing flows and intensifies counter-terrorism activities, globally. The agreement includes milestones to ensure both countries are accountable through their commitments. Together the United States and Qatar will do more to track down funding sources, will do more to collaborate and share information, and will do more to keep the region and our homeland safe. I applaud the leadership of his Highness the Emir of Qatar for being the first to respond to president Trump's challenge in the Riyadh summit, to stop the funding of terrorism." (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) QATARI FOREIGN MINISTER, SHEIKH MOHAMMED BIN ABDULRAHMAN AL-THANI, SAYING: "What was mentioned and supported in the media campaign (against Qatar) over Qatar not abiding by the Riyadh agreement, is all problematic. The state of Qatar abided by all the clauses of the agreement and there's documentation that proves that Qatar abided by this agreement. And it is a collective agreement, it's not only for Qatar, it's an agreement for all countries to abide and Qatar wasn't singled out to abide by this agreement. The measures that were taken against the state of Qatar are a clear violation of this agreement by the countries involved." (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE, REX TILLERSON, SAYING: "As it relates to the conflict that exists here in the Gulf, we had a good trilateral exchange around the conflict with his Highness the Emir and the Foreign Minister with the Kuwaiti mediator partner. My role here is to support the efforts of the Emir of Kuwait and the Kuwaiti mediator to bring what we can to the discussions to help both sides more fully understand the concerns of the relative parties and also point out possible solutions to those." TILLERSON AND SHEIKH MOHAMMED SHAKING HANDS BEFORE LEAVING NEWS CONFERENCE
- Embargoed: 25th July 2017 18:47
- Keywords: Doha Qatar sign agreement Tillerson United States terrorism financing
- Location: DOHA, QATAR
- City: DOHA, QATAR
- Country: Qatar
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0016P9WH8N
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The United States and Qatar signed an agreement on Tuesday (July 11) aimed at combating the financing of terrorism, as U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson visited Doha to try to end a month-long rift between Western-allied Arab states.
Tillerson said the agreement signed with his Qatari counterpart, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, had been under discussion for months.
Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt imposed sanctions on Qatar last month, accusing it of financing extremist groups and allying with the Gulf Arab states' arch-foe Iran, something Doha denies.
Sheikh Mohammed said the agreement was not linked to the crisis with the four Arab countries, which the United States fears could impact its military and counter-terrorism operations and increase Iran's influence in the region.
The Qatari minister also said his country had not broken any promise under the Riyadh agreement, a previously secret accord between Riyadh and Doha.
The four Arab states say Qatar had pledged to desist from interfering in its neighbours' politics in the 2013 agreement. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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