WASHINGTON, April 6 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump spoke over phone on Friday with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the two leaders called for building a united Gulf region, said the White House.
The phone call came amid lingering diplomatic confrontations between Qatar and other Gulf nations.
The two leaders agreed that all the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states "can and should do more to increase coordination with each other," according to a statement released by the White House later in the day.
Trump and the crown prince agreed on the importance of a united GCC, the statement added.
Founded in 1981, the GCC comprises Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman.
Last year, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, and Egypt accused Qatar of "supporting terrorism" and "undermining regional security" by seeking closer ties with Iran, an accusation which Qatar has strongly denied and called "unjustified" and "baseless."
Trump's remarks in June, which claimed that Qatar had funded terrorism "at a very high level," further exacerbated the standoff.
Trump is scheduled to meet visiting Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani later this month at the White House.
