Further Persian Gulf Reconciliation With Qatar Planned: Reports
DOHA (Dispatches) – The ongoing efforts to resolve a long-standing dispute between Qatar and other Persian Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain, are set to be bolstered at an upcoming Persian Gulf Cooperation Council summit later in the month, a senior diplomatic source told the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Rai on Sunday.
"The reconciliation of the Persian Gulf countries will take place at the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit, which is tentatively scheduled to be held in Bahrain this month,” the newspaper quoted its source as saying.
Kuwait, along with the United States, has spearheaded efforts to resolve the Persian Gulf dispute, which broke out in June 2017 when four nations – Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, and the UAE – severed ties with Qatar over the latter’s alleged support of radical groups. Doha has denied the allegations.
The blockade led Qatar to forge closer ties with Iran and Turkey in order to broaden its trade options or reroute its flights.
Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah, Kuwait’s foreign minister, said on Friday that productive talks have been held on the potential resolution of the dispute.
Members of the international community, including the European Union, have welcomed the progress made over recent days towards rebuilding relations in the Persian Gulf.
On Friday, Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Ahmad Nasser al-Muhammad Al Sabah said in a speech broadcast by Kuwait TV that "fruitful” discussions had taken place to resolve the Persian Gulf crisis.
In the talks "all parties affirmed their keenness on Persian Gulf and Arab solidarity and stability and to reach a final agreement that would achieve what they aspire to in terms of lasting solidarity between their countries and the good of their people,” he added.
Later in the day, Qatari Foreign Minister Muhammad Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said he was "hopeful that things will move in the right direction right now.”
"We cannot predict whether it’s going to be imminent and it’s going to resolve the whole issue in one day,” he stressed during a virtual interview as part of the Mediterranean Dialogues conference.
Additionally, Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan told the same conference that "significant progress” had been made in the Persian Gulf reconciliation talks over the past few days.
"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 finalizing an agreement between all the nations in the dispute to come to a resolution that we think will be satisfactory to all,” he said.
"The reconciliation of the Persian Gulf countries will take place at the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit, which is tentatively scheduled to be held in Bahrain this month,” the newspaper quoted its source as saying.
Kuwait, along with the United States, has spearheaded efforts to resolve the Persian Gulf dispute, which broke out in June 2017 when four nations – Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, and the UAE – severed ties with Qatar over the latter’s alleged support of radical groups. Doha has denied the allegations.
The blockade led Qatar to forge closer ties with Iran and Turkey in order to broaden its trade options or reroute its flights.
Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah, Kuwait’s foreign minister, said on Friday that productive talks have been held on the potential resolution of the dispute.
Members of the international community, including the European Union, have welcomed the progress made over recent days towards rebuilding relations in the Persian Gulf.
On Friday, Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Ahmad Nasser al-Muhammad Al Sabah said in a speech broadcast by Kuwait TV that "fruitful” discussions had taken place to resolve the Persian Gulf crisis.
In the talks "all parties affirmed their keenness on Persian Gulf and Arab solidarity and stability and to reach a final agreement that would achieve what they aspire to in terms of lasting solidarity between their countries and the good of their people,” he added.
Later in the day, Qatari Foreign Minister Muhammad Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said he was "hopeful that things will move in the right direction right now.”
"We cannot predict whether it’s going to be imminent and it’s going to resolve the whole issue in one day,” he stressed during a virtual interview as part of the Mediterranean Dialogues conference.
Additionally, Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan told the same conference that "significant progress” had been made in the Persian Gulf reconciliation talks over the past few days.
"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 finalizing an agreement between all the nations in the dispute to come to a resolution that we think will be satisfactory to all,” he said.