US, Qatar Sign Agreement on Fighting Terror Financing Amid Gulf Row

The United States and Qatar have signed an agreement intending to disrupt financing of terrorist organizations, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said at a press conference on Tuesday.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The news comes amid a diplomatic row of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Egypt with Qatar, which was accused of supporting terrorism and interfering in their internal affairs.

"The memorandum lays out a series of steps two countries will take over the coming months and years to interrupt and disable terror financing flows and intensify counterterrorism activities globally," Tillerson stated during his visit to Qatar.

The two countries will work on tracking down funding sources and will increase information sharing.

The deal also includes some milestones to ensure both countries are accountable to their commitments, the state secretary noted.

"The agreement, which we both have signed on behalf of our governments, represents weeks of intensive discussions between experts and reinvigorates the spirit of the Riyadh summit," Tillerson noted.

In May, US President Donald Trump participated in the Arab Islamic American Summit held in Saudi Arabia along with the leaders of the Muslim-majority countries. During the meetings with Saudi King Salman, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef and Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Trump addressed issues related to countering terrorism.