US, Qatar patch up ties amid rifts over Trump accusation

WASHINGTON - In their first session of strategic dialogue, the United States and Qatar outlined areas for future cooperation to mend ties disrupted by the Gulf diplomatic rift that was fueled by President Donald Trump's accusation against Doha.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Secretary of Defense James Mattis co-hosted the meeting in Washington with their Qatari counterparts, Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Defense Minister Khalid bin Muhammad al-Atiyah.

During Tuesday's event, the US and Qatar signed multiple memorandums of understanding on issues including human trafficking and agreed to create a bilateral group on labor practices.