Saudi Arabia to reopen Qatar embassy in coming days: FM

Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan  says full diplomatic relations with Qatar will resume


Reuters January 16, 2021
Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud attends a news conference following talks with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, Russia January 14, 2021. PHOTO: REUTERS/FILE

RIYADH:

Saudi Arabia expects to re-open its embassy in Qatar in the coming days, Saudi’s foreign minister said on Saturday, following a US-backed detente last week in a three-year-old dispute between Arab states.

It is just a matter of logistics, Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan told journalists in Riyadh when asked about embassy reopenings.

Full diplomatic relations will resume, he added.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt imposed a diplomatic, trade and travel embargo on Qatar in mid-2017 accusing it of supporting terrorism. Qatar denied that and said the embargo was meant to undermine its sovereignty.

Riyadh on Jan. 5 announced a breakthrough US-backed deal to end the row with Doha, to try to strengthen an Arab alliance against Iran.

The countries have opened up their air spaces to each other and some flights have resumed.

 

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