Ukraine in Arabic | Gulf trio meet on Qatar in Jeddah
KYIV/Ukraine in arabic/Two separate meetings are due to be held in the Saudi city of Jeddah on Sunday to discuss the ongoing crisis in Syria and the diplomatic dispute with Qatar.
A meeting of the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE will discuss the tension between Qatar and the three states, who recalled their ambassadors from Doha earlier this year. This meeting is expected to formulate the final positions of the three countries regarding Qatar.
The meeting follows the conclusion on Friday of the work of a joint committee investigating Qatar’s compliance with the Riyadh Agreement, which was signed in November 2013 to resolve the rift between Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain on one side, and Qatar on the other.
The committee have completed their final report on Doha’s commitment to the Riyadh Agreement, which the six Gulf Cooperation Council member states decided would be the framework for a solution, according to comments made by diplomatic sources to Asharq Al-Awsat a few days ago.
The situation surrounding the return of the ambassadors to Qatar remained unclear. The position of GCC Secretary-General Abdullatif Al-Zayani was also unclear on Sunday, as he has yet to comment on the committee’s report.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal said the resolution of the problems with Qatar was linked to Doha’s amendment of its policies. The three countries recalled their ambassadors from Doha in March, and said the move was a protest at Qatar’s failure to uphold the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other states.
The three states called for a ban on any action which threatened the security and stability of Gulf states, whether through direct security operations, or the use of political influence and hostile media.
A joint statement issued by Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE stressed their commitment to the interests of all Gulf States, including Qatar, and expressed hope that Qatar would take speedy measures to implement what was agreed to preserve the joint interests of Gulf people.
The Riyadh Agreement was reached following a meeting in the Saudi capital between Saudi King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz, Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al Sabah, and Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani on November 22, 2012.
Meanwhile, a meeting of the Arab members of the international Friends of Syria Group will also take place in Jeddah on Sunday, in order to discuss the latest developments in the war-torn country.
The meeting will include the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar and the UAE, and will consider ways to support the Syrian people, as well as evaluations of the urgent humanitarian needs of more than 2 million Syrian refugees in neighboring countries.
