Gulf foreign ministers met and discussed cooperation in several field before the GCC summit in Riyadh

On Sunday, a virtual meeting was held by top Gulf Arab officials to reinforce cooperation in many political, economic, and social aspects before a GCC summit next month in Riyadh.

In the meeting hosted by Manama, the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman, and Kuwait participated, while the minister of state for foreign affairs represented Qatar.

Indeed, the participation of Qatar’s foreign minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, would have been viewed as another sign towards concluding the diplomatic conflict.

In June 2017, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain and Egypt cut relations with Qatar, indicating that it was too close to Iran and financing radical Islamist movements, while Doha has denied these accusations. After cutting relations, the countries published a list of 13 demands for Qatar, including the closing of the Al Jazeera channel.

According to a statement by Kuwait’s foreign ministry, the six countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) discussed on Sunday suggestions on supporting and strengthening joint Gulf cooperation in various political, economic and social aspects. This actually comes after Manama appealed on Wednesday for an end to regional disputes, reducing its rhetoric about the Gulf crisis.

Besides, on Sunday, Bahrain’s Foreign Minister, Abdellatif al-Zayani, showed confidence in Saudi Arabia’s ability to find a solution to the dispute within the Gulf. According to Bahraini media, al-Zayani also said during the gathering that his country hoped for a return to normalcy in the region.

Otherwise, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan stated previously this month that a resolution was in sight, with the four governments behind the boycott on board and a final agreement expected soon as the GCC prepares to convene in the kingdom on January 5.