Qatar and Bahrain Agree to Resume Diplomatic Relations

By Staff, Agencies

Qatar and Bahrain announced late Wednesday that they had agreed to reinstate diplomatic ties.

The agreement was reached following talks at the Gulf Cooperation Council headquarters in Saudi Arabia, according to Qatar’s Foreign Ministry. Their statement said that the two states "decided to restore diplomatic relations between the two countries according to the principles of the United Nations charter."

"The two sides affirmed that this step stems from the mutual desire to develop bilateral relations and enhance Gulf unity and integration," it added.

The relations between the two Gulf states were severed in 2017, when Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain imposed a diplomatic blockade on Qatar over its support for radical movements and its ties with Iran and Turkey. The blockade was lifted in 2021, but Bahrain is the last of the countries to renew relations with Qatar due to their long-lasting dispute over the maritime border.

The reconciliation comes amid a flurry of regional efforts to resolve disputes led by regional heavyweight Saudi Arabia. Earlier on Wednesday, Saudi Arabia and Syria announced the resumption of consular services and flights between the countries. Last month, Riyadh and Tehran also resumed relations after seven years of tensions.