Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Ahmad Nasser Mohammed al Sabah told state television on Monday that “on the basis of the Highness’s recommendation Sheikh Nawaf al Ahmad al Sabah, the Emir of Kuwait may God protect him , it was agreed to open sea and air borders from today (Monday) between Saudi Arabia and Qatar “.
He also said the final agreement was the result of a call promoted by the Emir of Kuwait with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The diplomatic breakthrough comes a day before a meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) on Tuesday, organized by Saudi Arabia.
Representatives from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will attend the event. The Qatari Emir will also attend the summit, his first visit to the country in three years.
In a statement, Bin Salman said the summit will focus on regional “unity and cohesion,” according to the Saudi state news agency (SPA). “Through [the summit] the hopes of the [Saudi] King and his brothers, the leaders of the (Gulf Cooperation Council), for unity and cohesion, will translate into meeting the challenges of the region, ”SPA reported.
A senior U.S. government official told CNN on Monday that President Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner helped negotiate the reopening between the two countries and that he was also expected at Tuesday’s summit. attend a ceremony marking the facts achieved.
But Saudi Arabia and Qatar have recently worked to close the rift. At a virtual diplomatic conference in December, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud said he was “optimistic” about repairing relations.
At the same conference, Qatar’s foreign minister acknowledged that there were moves to “end the Gulf crisis.”