Manama: A Bahraini diplomat has ruled out the reinstatement of three Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) ambassadors in Qatar within days as claimed by media reports.

“There is an ad hoc committee following up the Riyadh Declaration and so far it has not reached a decision that would reinstate the ambassadors in Doha within days,” the diplomat said, quoted by local daily Al Ayam on Sunday. The paper did not name the diplomat.

Reports over the weekend published remarks attributed to an unnamed Gulf diplomat stating that the ambassadors of Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the UAE to Qatar, recalled by their countries on March 5, would return to the Qatari capital Doha within days, signalling the end of the deepest political crisis to hit the GCC since its establishment in 1981.

The GCC brings together Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Manama, Riyadh and Abu Dhabi brought their ambassadors in Doha home to protest against what they described as the non-compliance of Qatar with the GCC principles and its interference in their domestic affairs.

Qatar said the divergences were about issues outside the GCC, referring to the contrasting positions taken by the Gulf capitals over the political developments in Egypt.

Kuwait and Oman did not pull out their ambassadors from Doha and Qatar did not reciprocate the withdrawal, leaving its chiefs of diplomatic missions in Manama, Riyadh and Abu Dhabi.

The Riyadh Declaration was signed in the Saudi capital on November 23 by Saudi King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud and Qatari Emir Shaikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani following a successful mediation by Kuwaiti Emir Shaikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah.

However, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the UAE felt that Qatar did not commit itself to the spirit of the agreement and decided to pull out their ambassadors.

On April 17, a new accord was reached and an ad hoc committee was set up to help ensure full compliance with the clauses of the Riyadh Declaration.

With no details transpiring from the meetings of the committee, statements have emerged, either announcing an imminent end to the diplomatic crisis or denying such claims.

Statements by Kuwaiti officials, meanwhile, have been stressing the robustness of the GCC and its ability to absorb all political shocks.