RIYADH — Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain agreed on Sunday to return their ambassadors to Qatar after an extraordinary meeting in Riyadh.
The ‘Riyadh Complementary Arrangement', “promises the opening of a new page that will present a strong base, especially in light of the sensitive circumstances the region is undergoing,” said a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) statement.
“Based on this, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain have decided to return their ambassadors to Doha,” it said. The three GCC countries withdrew their ambassadors to Doha in March.
The Sunday meeting was called by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and was attended by GCC leaders. It comes ahead of the annual Gulf summit set to take place in Doha on December 9 and 10.
The statement said the United Arab Emirates was represented by Vice President Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum. Oman, meanwhile, appeared absent from the meeting.
The meeting “aims at strengthening the spirit of sincere cooperation and affirming... the hopes of GCC people for strong relations,” it added.
The GCC leaders thanked King Abdullah for his initiative to call the meeting which, they said, will consolidate the spirit of sincere cooperation and emphasize the common destiny and aspirations of GCC and Arab citizens.
After the success of the Riyadh meeting, the UAE said it looks forward to participating in Doha Summit.
In a statement to Bahrain News Agency, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bahrain, Sheikh Khalid Bin Ahmed Bin Mohammed Al-Khalifa expressed his appreciation for the role of King Abdullah in the GCC leadership and his efforts to support the issues of Arab and Islamic nations.
