GULF STATES AGREE ON STEPS TO HEAL RIFT

Gulf states took a step towards resolving a rift in the alliance yesterday by agreeing on ways to implement a security agreement they reached last year.
Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates withdrew their ambassadors from Qatar on March 5, accusing Doha of not abiding by November’s agreement, which called for not interfering in each other’s internal affairs.
The unprecedented move complicated Gulf efforts to navigate regional turmoil, particularly in Syria and Egypt.
The Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) secretariat said in a statement that foreign ministers of the six-member body had met in Riyadh for a comprehensive review of measures used to implement foreign and security policies.
Qatar’s delegation to the meeting was led by Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Dr Khalid bin Mohamed al-Attiyah.
“It was agreed to adopt the mechanisms that would ensure moving forward in a collective framework, and that the policies of any of the GCC member states would not affect the interests, stability and security of its members and without impacting on the sovereignty of any of its members,” the statement said.
It said the ministers confirmed their countries agreed on the mechanism for implementing an accord which was concluded in Riyadh on November 23 but which was not made public until the withdrawal of ambassadors last month.

The GCC foreign ministers hailed the historic achievement which was the result of 33 years of hard work to realize the interests of the people in the member states, to pave the way for wider horizons of security and stability, and to boost member states’ preparations for the challenges ahead, under a strong and coherent entity.

They also praised the role played by Kuwait to reach the outcome. The ministers agreed the importance of proper fulfillment of the commitments undertaken, in order to safeguard the achievements and to move forward into a new phase of cohesion to face difficulties and challenges and to meet aspirations of the people of the member states.

However, the statement did not make any reference to the return of the Saudi, UAE and Bahrain ambassadors to Doha. It was also not immediately clear if the agreement would tide over differences over Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood. The group has been declared a terrorist organisation by Saudi Arabia, in a move precipitated by the Egyptian army’s ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Mursi last year after mass protests against his troubled one year in office.

Qatar last month insisted its foreign policy was “non-negotiable.”
Al-Hayat daily yesterday cited Oman’s Foreign Minister Yusuf bin Alawi as saying that the crisis has been “ended” and that the dispute belongs to “the past.”

Source- "Gulf Times"

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