Egypt’s foreign ministry hailed the Kuwaiti efforts to settle the Gulf diplomatic crisis. In 2017, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain on one side, and Qatar on the other lost the mutual understanding.
For the Persian Gulf countries, the issue of a blockade against Qatar remains central on agenda. It is the first time an Egyptian official has commented on ongoing talks to end the blockade since reports about a potential reconciliation emerged last week. Arab solidarity is an aim for these talks.
“We appreciate the Kuwaiti effort to bridge the Arab gap and settle the crisis with Qatar,” Ahmed Hafez, the Egyptian foreign ministry spokesperson, said on Tuesday.
The Egyptian side believes that these thankful efforts reveal a complete solution. It is time to find a way that will deal with all the reasons of the diplomatic crisis and guarantee a precise and serious commitment on what will be agreed on.
In its turn, Cairo will always put the priority of preserving “Arab solidarity, stability and security” first.
In mid-2017, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt have cut ties with Qatar, saying it was too close to Iran and funding radical movements, charges Doha staunchly denies.
The four nations subsequently forced out Qataris residing in their countries, closed their airspace to Qatari aircraft and sealed their borders and ports, in some cases separating mixed-nationality families.
