By William Mauldin

A high-level meeting between officials from the U.S. and Qatar this week offers a chance for the Middle Eastern country to heal a rift with its neighbors and could solidify one of Washington's relationships in the volatile region.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross met leading Qatari officials on Monday to kick off the two-day U.S.-Qatar Strategic Dialogue.

Framework agreements on culture and economic cooperation will be signed by the U.S. and a Qatari delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani and Finance Minister Ali Shareef al-Emadi, according to Qatar's ambassador to the U.S., Meshal bin Hamad al-Thani.

Qatar, a tiny country on the Arabian Peninsula with tremendous gas reserves, has carved out an outsize role, as an intermediary in regional disagreements, through its Al Jazeera media outlet and as the host of the largest U.S. air base in the region. Mr. Pompeo traveled to the capital, Doha, over the weekend to support new talks there between the Taliban and the Afghan government. Qatar, while not formally recognizing Israel, has cooperated with Israelis and helped to mediate disputes.

In the past three years, Qatar has seen much of its own trade and travel blocked by countries in the region -- Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt -- in a dispute that has soured relations and led to restrictions on Qatari pilgrims' visits to Mecca, Ambassador al-Thani said.

The countries accuse Qatar of facilitating financial support for Middle East terrorist groups, a charge Qatari officials deny, among other accusations.

"I look forward to progress on this issue," Mr. Pompeo said in opening remarks at the forum.

President Trump spoke with Saudi Arabia's King Salman on Sept. 6 and called for an end to the rift among Persian Gulf neighbors. Few expect an immediate resolution, but the Trump administration is eager to work on the dispute.

In one possible outcome, the U.S. could persuade Saudi Arabia to end its ban on Qatari flights over the kingdom, analysts say.

Officials from the U.A.E. are also in Washington this week for the signing of a pact brokered by the Trump administration to normalize relations with Israel, offering U.S. officials an opportunity to raise the rift with Qatari and Emirati diplomats.

"It's the sort of opportunity that diplomats get excited about," said Simon Henderson, who leads the Persian Gulf and energy program at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

Mr. Emadi, the Qatari finance minister, acknowledged the U.S. efforts to mend ties. "From day one, I knew that the Americans are very hands-on on this," he said in an interview on Monday.

The Trump administration last week said Bahrain would normalize relations with Israel, following an agreement between the U.A.E and Israel last month. Qatar is unlikely to establish formal ties with Israel without progress in talks with the Palestinians or movement toward the formation of a Palestinian state.

"What Qatar wants to see in the region is stability and peace," Ambassador al-Thani told reporters on Friday. "Whether normalization is going to lead to that is yet to be discovered."

Write to William Mauldin at william.mauldin@wsj.com