Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Ahmed al-Sabah says there have been “constructive and fruitful discussions” on efforts to achieve reconciliation in the Gulf crisis.

The foreign minister said on Friday that progress had been made in resolving the row that has seen Saudi Arabia and its allies boycott Qatar since mid-2017.

He stopped short of announcing any breakthrough in the dispute.

“Fruitful discussion have taken place recently in which all sides expressed their keenness … to reach a final agreement,” Sheikh Ahmad Nasser al-Sabah said in a statement read out on Kuwait TV, thanking White House senior adviser Jared Kushner for his “recent efforts”.

Following the statement, Qatar’s Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani thanked Kuwait for its mediation.

“The Kuwaiti statement is an imperative step towards resolving the GCC crisis. We express our gratitude to the State of Kuwait for their mediation & the United States for their efforts,” Al Thani said on Twitter.

“The interest and security of the people of the Gulf & the region remain our top priority,” he added.

Earlier on Friday, Al Thani said that there has been movement on resolving the bitter diplomatic dispute but that he could not predict whether a breakthrough was imminent or would fully resolve the matter.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt imposed a diplomatic, trade and travel boycott on Qatar on June 5, 2017, accusing Doha of supporting terrorism and having ties with Iran that were deemed too close.

Qatar has repeatedly rejected the accusations as baseless while highlighting its readiness for dialogue.