UAE FM says travel, trade with Qatar to resume within week

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash announced on Wednesday that trade and travel between Qatar and Arab states boycotting it would resume within one week of signing the reconciliation agreement in the Saudi city of Al-Ula.

However, the Emirati minister explained that other issues, including restoring full diplomatic ties, may take longer as parties need to work on rebuilding trust.

“The UAE has placed its confidence in Saudi Arabia to lead the negotiation process,” Gargash affirmed, adding that the idea is to try to: “Lay down rules of non-interference and agree on issues that affect us all, including extremism and terrorism, which is an integral part of the agreement.”

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Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani disclosed on Wednesday that it had been agreed to not publish the final statement of the Gulf summit.

However, he indicated that there are basic principles to overcome the Gulf crisis and govern relations between the countries in the future, including non-interference in other states’ affairs and not threatening the region’s security.

On Tuesday, the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, as well as Egypt, met in the Saudi city of Al-Ula and signed a document that affirmed unity and joint cooperation between their nations.