U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Wednesday in Washington with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani as diplomatic efforts continued to advance the second phase of the Gaza cease-fire deal, amid Israel's violations.
According to the State Department readout, the meeting launched the seventh U.S.-Qatar Strategic Dialogue and focused on deepening cooperation on shared economic and security goals.
"The Secretary and the Prime Minister reaffirmed the strategic partnership between the United States and Qatar,” the statement said.
The readout, however, made no reference to Gaza or related cease-fire talks.
"The Secretary expressed appreciation for Qatar’s role in supporting American objectives in the Middle East, Africa, and the Western Hemisphere, and reiterated both countries’ desire for close collaboration on shared goals,” the statement said.
