GULF STATES TO MEET FOR RECONCILIATION WITH QATAR AT ANNUAL GCC SUMMIT

Mon 07 December 2020:

Reconciliation between Qatar and Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain was due to take place during the summit of Gulf States to be held in Bahrain this month, Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Rai reported yesterday (Sunday 06 Dec).

According to the paper, which reported a diplomatic source, the reasons behind the three-year long dispute are to be discussed through committees which are being formed in an effort to find a solution that would ensure the crisis is not renewed and to unite Gulf States.

Islamic, Arab and international statements were issued hailing the Kuwaiti announcement about the latest positive development regarding the potential reconciliation between Qatar and Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt.

On Friday, Al Jazeera reported Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister expressing optimism that the three-year boycott of Qatar might be nearing an end.

“We’ve made significant progress in the last few days,” Al Jazeera reported the Prince Faisal Bin Farhan saying as he was speaking to Italy’s annual Mediterranean Dialogues.

“We hope that this progress can lead to a final agreement which looks in reach, and I can say that I am somewhat optimistic that we are close to finalising an agreement between all the nations in the dispute to come to a resolution that we think will be satisfactory to all,” the prince said.

In June 2017, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, and Egypt joined forces to impose a land, sea, and air blockade on Qatar claiming it supports terrorism. Doha vehemently denies the charges and says its neighbours are trying to force a change in leadership.