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NEW DELHI: External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Monday praised Qatar’s proactive mediation efforts in facilitating talks between the United States and Iran as the two countries resumed negotiations after months of military confrontation and cross-border strikes.The remarks came as international attention turned to Qatar’s behind-the-scenes diplomatic role in helping revive the dialogue. According to a Financial Times report, when the fragile US-Iran ceasefire appeared close to unravelling earlier this year, it was Qatar’s quiet and sustained shuttle diplomacy, rather than Pakistan’s hoped-for role, that helped steer the negotiations back towards the table. The report said Doha combined discretion, access and persistent engagement to emerge as the key mediator, while the talks eventually returned to the traditional venue of neutral Switzerland.During his visit, Jaishankar met Qatari prime minister and minister of foreign affairs, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and “reviewed the entire spectrum of bilateral relations with a focus on energy, trade, investments and people to people ties. They also discussed regional and multilateral issues of mutual interest”. Jaishankar’s Gulf visit was in the backdrop of fast-evolving political dynamics in West Asia following the signing of an agreement aimed at ending the US-Iran conflict, with the resumption of the talks to keep the diplomatic process on track and resolve long standing disputes between Washington and Tehran.The technical talks are expected to take place on July 11, although a final decision on the venue has yet to be made.The discussions are also expected to address regional security issues, including efforts to preserve stability in the Strait of Hormuz. The July 11 meeting is intended to advance the framework established under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, signed two weeks ago, which gave both sides 60 days to negotiate a comprehensive agreement on Iran’s nuclear programme and related issues.
