Abu Dhabi: The United Arab Emirates said there is support for mending the standoff with Qatar, but the media there is “undermining” that effort.
The political and social climate in the Arabian Gulf looks toward ending the Qatar crisis, the UAE’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said in a tweet on Tuesday. “But Qatari media outlets seem determined to undermine any agreement,” he said. “A strange phenomenon.”
الأجواء السياسية والإجتماعية في الخليج العربي تتطلع إلى إنهاء أزمة قطر وتبحث عن الوسيلة الأمثل لضمان إلتزام الدوحة بأي إتفاق يحمل في ثناياه الخير للمنطقة، أما المنصات الإعلامية القطرية فتبدو مصممة على تقويض أي إتفاق.
ظاهرة غريبة وصعبة التفسير.
— د. أنور قرقاش (@AnwarGargash) December 22, 2020
Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt cut diplomatic, trade and transport links with Qatar in 2017, accusing the gas-rich country of maintaining close ties with Iran and supporting terrorism. Qatar denies the charges.
But talks of a potential breakthrough began to circulate earlier this month. Kuwait’s foreign minister said last week that a meeting Gulf leaders was planned for Jan. 5 in Riyadh.
People with knowledge of the matter said that Saudi Arabia and Qatar are close to a preliminary rapprochement that may not initially include the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt.
Also read: Now, Saudi Arabia and Qatar are nearing a US-brokered deal to end their 3-year rift