Qatar, UAE in talks to restore diplomatic relations
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Doha/Dubai: Officials announced on Tuesday that Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are reestablishing diplomatic relations and reopening embassies.
The action was taken more than two years after Arab powers ended a boycott of Doha.
“At present, the activation of diplomatic ties, which will include the reopening of embassies, is under process between both countries,” a UAE official said in a statement in response to a question.
The international media office of Qatar confirmed in a statement that “work is underway to reopen the respective embassies as soon as possible.”
“Regarding the opening of embassies between the two countries, I think it will be in the coming weeks,” Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson Majid Al-Ansari said at a briefing.
A Gulf official said that by the middle of June, embassies should reopen with new ambassadors in place. According to a fourth source, diplomatic ties would be entirely repaired within a few weeks, Reuters reported.
Following years of antagonism that threatened Gulf instability and fueled the conflict in Yemen, Iran and Saudi Arabia decided last month to reestablish relations. This comes amid a broader regional effort for peace.
A number of Arab nations, particularly Saudi Arabia and Egypt, have taken steps to end Syria's decade-long isolation and boycott after the country's violent suppression of protesters in 2011 sparked a protracted civil conflict.
This week saw a round of peace talks between Saudi Arabia and the Houthi movement in Yemen, which resulted in the exchange of hundreds of prisoners. More peace negotiations are anticipated soon.
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt broke all connections with Qatar in the middle of 2017 over claims that Doha was cosying up to Iran and supporting terrorism, both of which Doha rejected.
After a Saudi-led agreement to end the dispute, Riyadh and Cairo were the first to reassign ambassadors to Doha in 2021, while Bahrain this week said it would resume diplomatic relations.