Qatar denies exit rumours of Gulf Cooperation Council
Rumours have been swirling in Gulf capitals in recent weeks
Doha - Qatar denied on Thursday that it plans to quit the Gulf Cooperation Council as it prepares to mark three years of isolation.
Rumours of Qatar's imminent departure from the GCC, founded in 1981 and headquartered in Riyadh, have been swirling in Gulf capitals in recent weeks, with analysts and diplomats flagging it as a possibility.
"Reports claiming that Qatar is considering leaving the GCC are wholly incorrect and baseless," Qatar's assistant foreign minister Lolwah Al Khater told AFP.
"Such rumours must have originated from people's despair and disappointment with a fractured GCC, which used to be a source of hope and aspiration for the people of the six member countries," she said.
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, along with non-GCC member Egypt, abruptly cut diplomatic, economic and travel ties with Doha in June 2017.
The dispute will enter its third year on June 5.
Oman and Kuwait are the other two members of the body, which oversees regional economic and military coordination, along with Qatar and its regional rivals.