Emirates urges confidence to be restored to fully resolve problems with Qatar
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) restored ties with Qatar following the latest diplomatic rapprochement achieved at the last Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit, which staged a return to ties with the Qatari state following the blockade imposed on it in 2017 by Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the Emirate itself, which accused it of supporting cross-border terrorism and links with organisations considered to be terrorist such as the Muslim Brotherhood.
The Saudi kingdom took the first step, opening up its air space and maritime and land borders with Qatar and inviting Emir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani to attend the GCC summit in Riyadh; this invitation was accepted and led to Al-Thani's return to a conclave he had not attended for almost four years. The Saudi initiative was followed by a rapprochement between the Emirates, including the opening up of airspace and borders, though with reservations about the relationship that continues to link Qatar to countries accused of destabilising the Middle East, such as Turkey and Iran, and to entities such as the Muslim Brothers.
In this connection, Anwar Gargash, UAE's minister of state for foreign affairs, pointed out that there is still a need to restore confidence. "There are outstanding issues with Qatar that still need cooperation to be resolved, however, the reopening of airspace to Qatar is a positive step towards rebuilding confidence," Gargash said.
Thus, the emirate minister added that the joint action of the Gulf countries has returned to normal. However, he also referred to relations with other controversial international players, such as Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Turkey, which is also associated with the Muslim Brotherhood, which is causing considerable concern. As for relations with the Ottoman country, Gargash recalled that the United Arab Emirates is Turkey's biggest trading partner in the Arab region and is seeking to maintain normal ties with Ankara, though it must resolve its link with the Muslim Brotherhood. "Turkey's support for the Muslim Brotherhood is reflected negatively in its relations with Arab countries," he said, adding that Turkey needs to reconsider its relations with the Muslim Brotherhood.
"There is full coordination between the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Egypt with regard to regional problems, and we support the diplomatic solution to the Iranian dossier," Gargash said in reference also to the Islamic Republic of Iran. In this regard, he referred to the threats to the security of Saudi Arabia: "The security of Saudi Arabia is within the security of the United Arab Emirates, and we cannot ignore the missile attacks against the Kingdom". All this is in reference to the offensives suffered by the kingdom from the Hutu rebels, Shiite militias supported by the regime of the ayatollahs who are attempting to undermine the internationally recognised government of Yemen in the framework of the Yemeni civil war.
Gargash reiterated the Emirates' confidence in Saudi Arabia's role in settling their differences. "The United Arab Emirates is improving its position as an attractive centre for development and is adopting an approach of inter-religious tolerance," he concluded.