BRUSSELS: EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton will visit five Gulf nations including Qatar on a tour of the region next week focusing on the war in Syria, Iran’s disputed nuclear programme and Israel-Palestinian peace efforts. Ashton will visit Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Oman on the trip which runs until January 16, according to a diplomatic source. “We will have the chance to discuss a range of important issues which affect our bilateral relationships,” Ashton said in a statement. AFP
