Iraq Extols Renewed Qatar-UAE Relations as Harbinger of Arab Solidarity
Shafaq News/ Iraq's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday welcomed the restoration of the diplomatic ties between Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The ministry, seizing upon this groundbreaking moment of rapprochement, lauded the development as a linchpin for Arab unity and shared aspirations as per an official press release.
"The Ministry extols this step which is characterized as being 'positive for the course of supporting Arab joint action and cementing unity of its ranks,'" the statement said, striking a chord of unwavering support.
The statement underscored Iraq's unequivocal endorsement of concerted endeavors "aimed at fortifying Arab relations across diverse echelons and safeguarding the vested interests of the Arab people."
"The Iraqi Foreign Ministry remains dedicated to galvanizing common Arab action and fortifying the unity of its ranks," it concluded.
Qatar and the United Arab Emirates' respective embassies were reopened yesterday and will resume work after the two Gulf states agreed to restore diplomatic ties.
The restoration of ties comes amid a broader regional push for reconciliation and more than two years after Arab states ended a boycott of Doha that had shattered the Western-allied Gulf Arab bloc.
The U.S. State Department welcomed the resumption of diplomatic ties between the two countries and the reopening of embassies, calling it an "important step" in promoting regional stability.
The Qatari ministry said in a statement that the two foreign ministers, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani and Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, had held a phone call as the two embassies reopened on Monday.
Reuters reported in April that the two Gulf states were in the process of restoring diplomatic relations.
Abu Dhabi and Doha had been locked for years in a bitter rivalry over regional influence, the role of Islam in politics and over support for pro-democracy movements across the Middle East.
In 2017, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt severed all ties with Qatar over accusations that it supported terrorism, a reference to political Islam, and that it had forged closer ties with Iran. Doha denied the charges.
Riyadh and Cairo were the first to reappoint ambassadors to Doha in 2021 after a Saudi-led deal to end the feud, while Bahrain has yet to reopen its embassy in Doha.
The restoration of ties also came after Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to re-establish relations after years of hostility, which had threatened instability in the Gulf and stoked the war in Yemen.
