Pakistan welcomes an end to Saudi-Qatar feud

ISLAMABAD (92 News) - Pakistan has welcomed the decision by Saudi Arabia and Qatar to reopen the land, air and sea borders between the two countries.

In a statement, Foreign Office spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said we also appreciate other steps being taken by the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council, which will contribute to resolution of outstanding issues between the countries of the organization persisting for almost four years.

He said Pakistan lauds the positive role played by the Emir of Kuwait towards the resolution of the differences between the countries of the GCC.

The spokesperson said we hope that the GCC Summit, being held today in Al-Ula, Saudi Arabia, will further build on these encouraging developments and lead to enhanced confidence and cooperation among the countries of the organization.

He said Pakistan continues to accord high importance to its relationship with the Gulf Cooperation Council, as well as its bilateral relations with all GCC countries.

Earlier, a major breakthrough as Saudi Arabia opened its land borders with Qatar to resolve the political dispute that led Riyadh and its allies to impose a boycott on Qatar, Al-Jazeera reported.

According to the report published in Al-Jazeera, the announcement came on the eve of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit and could pave the way towards ending a three-year-old feud.

According to Kuwait's foreign minister, after the resumption of land border activities, Saudi Arabia is set to reopen its airspace and sea border as well.

Kuwait and the United States have been trying to end the row in which Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and non-Gulf Egypt severed diplomatic, trade, and travel ties with Qatar in mid-2017, shattering regional unity which Washington says hinders efforts to contain Iran.

Qatar has repeatedly denied the allegations and said there was “no legitimate justification” for the severance of relations.