US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said Friday that Qatar's assistance to the afflicted in Turkey and northern Syria is an example of its initiative to face pressing challenges.
After his talks in Washington with Qatari Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani, Blinken added that the United States notes Qatar's generosity in its assistance to the afflicted in Turkey and northern Syria as a result of the earthquake.
For his part, the Qatari Foreign Minister said - in an interview with Al-Jazeera after his meeting with his American counterpart - that there are many challenges in entering Syria, and that Qatar has charities and search and rescue teams there that provide assistance.
A devastating earthquake struck at dawn last Monday in southern Turkey and northern Syria, and was felt by the residents of a number of countries in the region, and resulted - according to the latest statistics - in the killing of more than 23 thousand people and wounding tens of thousands, as well as causing great damage to buildings and facilities in both Turkey and Syria.
Qatar announced the launch of an air bridge it allocated to support the two countries, while the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the provision of 10,000 mobile homes as part of relief efforts for those affected by the earthquake disaster.
In another context, the Qatari foreign minister said that the issues he discussed with his American counterpart included the situation in the Palestinian territories, Israeli measures, and the escalation containment mechanism, in addition to the Afghanistan file and the nuclear negotiations with Iran.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani also said that he discussed with Blinken the file of the nuclear agreement and his recent meetings with the Iranian Foreign Minister, and stressed that the situation is complicated with regard to the negotiations on the Iranian nuclear file, but he stressed the need to continue diplomatic efforts.