The end of the Gulf dispute is a win for the region, Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister told CNBC after announcing that relations between Qatar and four Arab countries have been completely restored.
The leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council and Egypt signed an agreement on Tuesday aimed at strengthening unity and cohesion. The agreement came more than three years after Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt imposed a trade and travel blockade on Qatar.
“We have managed to reach the Al-Ula Declaration, which raises a dispute … between the four countries and Qatar,” said Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud, Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, referring to the agreement named after the ancient city of Al-Ula where the leaders of the Arab nations met.
The region entered a crisis in 2017, when Saudi Arabia and its allies severed diplomatic and trade ties with Qatar, accusing the small gas-rich nation of being too close to Iran and supporting terrorism. Doha has denied the allegations.
We strongly believe that the Al-Ula Declaration resolves all the unresolved issues and concerns that the parties to the countries have had.
Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia opened its airspace, land and sea borders to Qatar on Monday. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman greeted the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, with a hug when the latter arrived on Saudi soil.
Al-Saud said he believed the agreement would be a “very, very strong basis” for regional stability in the future.
Asked if it was a win for the outgoing Trump administration, al-Saud said: “I think this agreement accumulates a win for the region, first and foremost, a win for all of us.”
Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud holds a press conference at the end of the 41st summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in the northwestern city of al-Ula on 5 January 2021.
Fayez Nureldine | AFP | Getty Images
However, he acknowledged support from the US and Kuwait, which mediated between Saudi Arabia and Qatar. “Absolutely, President Trump and (White House chief adviser) Jared Kushner have helped reach this agreement, working very closely with Kuwait, which has been working on this for some time,” he told CNBC’s Hadley Gamble.
Not about Iran or Washington
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said on Tuesday that GCC unity was needed to counter the region’s challenges, “especially the threats posed by the Iranian regime’s nuclear program,” according to Arab News.
Foreign Minister al-Saud told CNBC that the agreement benefits the region’s security. “This agreement is not about Iran or anyone else. It is about bringing our countries together and making sure we work together to bring prosperity and security to our people.”
Asked if Saudi Arabia could try to get in the good graces of President-elect Joe Biden before the inauguration, he said: “It’s not about Washington, it’s about the region and the priorities our countries have.”
Biden is expected to withdraw US support for the kingdom when he takes office.
The Saudi foreign minister said the Gulf nations will cooperate on security issues as well as economic integration.
“We strongly believe that the Al-Ula Declaration addresses all the unresolved issues and concerns that the countries have had and that it lays the foundations for a very strong and cooperative agenda for the GCC and also for the region,” he said.