Office of the Spokesperson
The below is attributable to Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus:
Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale met yesterday in Doha, Qatar, with Qatari Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sultan al-Mereikhi, and Special Envoy for Counterterrorism and Mediation in Conflict Resolution Dr. Mutlaq al-Qahtani. Under Secretary Hale congratulated the Qatari leadership on successfully hosting the the Doha Forum. The Under Secretary discussed bilateral and regional issues with the Qatari leaders, including Iran’s destabilizing activities throughout the region; Sudan’s political transition and the historic opportunity it presents; and the conflict in Libya and Syria. They also reviewed Afghan peace efforts, in addition to the unrest in Iraq and Lebanon and the drivers of the popular protests there, including bad governance and corruption. Under Secretary Hale thanked Qatari leaders for their significant contributions throughout the region and stressed Gulf cohesion as a critical element to regional stability.