US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson meeting with Qatar´s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani. -AFP

DOHA: The US and Qatar announced Tuesday they have signed an agreement on fighting terrorism, at a time when the emirate is facing sanctions from neighbouring countries which accuse it of supporting extremism.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani made the announcement at a joint news conference in Doha.

Tillerson said the agreement was built on decisions made at a Riyadh summit in May to "wipe terrorism from the face of the Earth".

"As a result of President Trump´s very strong call, these commitments for action, will begin immediately on a number of fronts."

Sheikh Mohammed said Qatar was the first country in the region to sign a bilateral agreement with Washington on counter terror funding and called on what he called the "siege" nations to follow suit and sign their own agreements with the US.