Jeddah: Qatar has been given a week to honour the Riyadh agreement, which was concluded in November last year, to end its dispute with its Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) partners.
The foreign ministers of the six nations comprising the GCC yesterday agreed on giving a week’s time to committees charged with the implementation of the Riyadh agreement to wrap up all issues.
The meeting, which took place in Jeddah yesterday, was attended by Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Foreign Minister.
The Riyadh deal was reached in November 2013 between Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar. Doha agreed that all GCC member states should not interfere in the internal affairs of their neighbours. The deal came following a dispute between Qatar and other GCC countries.
In March this year, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain withdrew their ambassadors from Doha in a reaction to Qatar’s failure to honour the terms agreed in the Riyadh deal.
The foreign ministers expressed their appreciation for intensive efforts by the committees tasked with the implementation of the Riyadh deal and issued directives to facilitate their mission to finalise all issues stipulated in the agreement.
The ministers also discussed ways to support joint action by GCC member states in all fields in their quest towards further integration to meet the aspirations of their citizens.
Combating terrorism
They welcomed Saudi King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz’s speech calling for a joint effort to combat terrorism. The ministers also stressed the need for collaborative efforts to fight terrorism and stop bloodshed in the Arab region.
On Palestine, the ministers strongly condemned war crimes and the state terrorism being perpetrated by Israeli forces against Palestinians in Gaza. They reiterated their support for the Palestinian people and resolved to stand by the Palestinian National Authority until a lasting peace is reached.
The ministers also appreciated Egypt’s role in pushing for a permanent ceasefire.
On Iraq, the ministers welcomed the appointment of Haider Al Abadi as the new prime minister and the election of Salim Al Jabouri as Speaker of Iraq’s parliament.
