Doha: Qatar and Bahrain announced late on Wednesday that they have agreed to end a long-running diplomatic dispute and restore ties. In 2017, Bahrain joined Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt in imposing a diplomatic blockade on Qatar. However, the countries' rivalry goes back further, and Bahrain is the last country to renew ties. Qatar's foreign ministry said talks at the Gulf Cooperation Council's headquarters in Saudi Arabia reached an agreement on reconciliation.
A Foreign Ministry statement said the neighbors "have decided to restore diplomatic relations between the two countries in accordance with the principles of the United Nations Charter." "Both sides reaffirmed that this step stems from a mutual desire to develop bilateral relations and enhance Gulf unity and integration," the statement said. Bahrain's foreign ministry issued a similar statement, the country's state news agency reported. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt imposed a blockade on Qatar in 2017, accusing it of supporting extremist organizations in the region and being too close to Iran. Four countries banned Qatari planes and ships from using their airspace and territorial waters.
A settlement agreement was reached in January 2021. Three other states have already renewed ties, although the United Arab Emirates and Qatar have yet to reopen their embassies. UAE and Qatari officials held their latest reconciliation meeting last week, in what a Qatari foreign ministry spokesman described as a "positive atmosphere". Restoring relations between Qatar and Bahrain has been more difficult due to a number of complex issues including their maritime boundary. Both sides regularly accuse each other of illegally detaining fishermen from the other country. The Qatar-Bahrain reconciliation comes amid a flurry of regional efforts to resolve the disputes. Arch-rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran last month formally agreed to resume ties seven years after their separation. Meanwhile, Kuwait welcomed an agreement between Qatar and Bahrain to reopen their embassies in Doha and Manama following their Joint Follow-up Committee meeting held at the GCC Secretariat in Riyadh last night, the foreign ministry said. The statement said the agreement reflects the fraternal relations between Qatar and Bahrain as well as contributes to unity among the Gulf Cooperation Council member states. The Qatar-Bahrain Follow-up Committee announced the resumption of diplomatic relations to promote GCC integration and unity. The GCC includes Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman. - agencies
