UAE, Qatar agree to reopen embassies after long freeze in diplomatic relations

UAE, Qatar agree to reopen embassies after long freeze in diplomatic relations
by A.L. Lee
Washington DC (UPI) Jun 19, 2021

Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have agreed to reopen their respective embassies in a major reset to diplomatic relations following a yearslong rift that began after Doha's government was accused of sponsoring terrorism in 2017.

The Persian Gulf nations will resume operations at the UAE embassy in Doha, and the Qatar embassy in Abu Dhabi, as well as Qatar's consulate in Dubai, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced in a statement that was also posted to Twitter by Qatar's Foreign Ministry.

UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Qatar Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, who also serves as the country's foreign minister, exchanged congratulations on the renewal deal by phone.

The countries were seeking to "strengthen bilateral relations" as the leaders of both nations said they were willing to put aside the past in an effort to improve cooperation, which would serve to unite the Arab region.

"The Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs welcomed the restoration of diplomatic relations between the two countries, and expressed the State of Qatar's aspiration to promoting partnership with the United Arab Emirates to reflect the depth of the fraternal relations between the two brotherly peoples," Qatar's foreign ministry said in a statement.

The discussion was largely driven by recent developments on the world stage, including "a number of issues of common concern," however, neither government provided specifics about what came out in the talks nor what to expect next.

The diplomatic crisis with Qatar emerged in June 2017 when several Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates, severed relations over Qatar's close ties with Iran and its alleged support of extremism throughout the Middle East, leading to several years of isolation.

In April, Bahrain became the last of the four countries to resume relations with Qatar, while all the states were acting in accordance with the United Nations Charter and the provisions of the Vienna Convention of Diplomatic Relations.

The Qatar boycott was officially lifted in 2021 when Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates collectively agreed to restore relations with Qatar, leaving Bahrain as the last holdout among the four Gulf nations.