Qatar emir to tour Latin America amid ongoing blockade

Qatar's emir is set to start a tour of Latin American countries on Monday, the emirate's official news agency QNA reported, as Doha seeks new alliances in the face of a Saudi-led blockade.

Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani is to meet the presidents of Ecuador, Peru, Argentina and Paraguay to "discuss ways of strengthening relations and bilateral cooperation in various fields", QNA said on Saturday, without specifying the duration of the tour.

Doha has been working to build new alliances since a diplomatic crisis broke out in June 2017, pitting it against a bloc led by Riyadh.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt launched a blockade on Qatar last June, cutting diplomatic ties with Doha and halting air, sea and land links to the Gulf state.

The Saudi-led bloc accuses Qatar of supporting terrorism and being too closely allied to regional rival Iran.

Doha has categorically denied the accusations, adding that the dispute is an attack on its sovereignty and punishment for pursuing an independent foreign policy.

The cold shoulder from its neighbours has prompted Qatar to fall back on more distant allies, with the US, China and Germany being its three biggest trading partners.

Earlier this month, Qatar announced it will supply China with liquefied natural gas (LNG) for the next 22 years, as the gas-rich emirate battles an economic blockade by neighbouring states.

State-owned Qatargas made the announcement in a statement, saying it would supply China with around 3.4 million tonnes of LNG annually for 22 years.

Meanwhile, the state-run Kuwait News Agency on Friday said Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman is expected to visit Kuwait, with sources suggesting the young prince will discuss a Kuwaiti mediation to resolve the kingdom’s conflict with Qatar.

Mohammed bin Salman, more commonly known as MbS, will hold talks with Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, the Kuwaiti News Agency said in a tweet.

The news agency fell short of specifying details of the talks, however a Gulf Arab official told Reuters the conflict with Qatar would be on the agenda.

Agencies contributed to this report.

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