FM Qureshi discusses resolving disputes with Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi foreign ministers

ISLAMABAD:  Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Friday discussed resolving disputes within the Gulf states in telephonic conversations with his counterparts in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain.

In statements posted on Twitter,  the foreign minister shared speaking with  the Kingdom's Faisal bin Farhan al Saud, Qatar's Mohammed bin Abdullah al Thani and Bahrain's Dr Abdul Latif bin Rashid al Zayani.

Congratulating the Kingdom's foreign minister on the successfully convening the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit, Qureshi said he looked forward to welcoming him to Pakistan soon. 

"[The] readiness of GCC states to resolve disputes and indeed the Kingdom's positive role in resolution is a welcome way forward for peace and stability in the Gulf."

The foreign minister also congratulated the Qatari deputy and foreign minister for resolution of disputes and cultivating an environment of trust and cooperation in the Gulf. He added that Pakistan was looking forward to "strengthening bilateral cooperation with Qatar".

The foreign minister appreciated Bahrain's support during the 47th Organisation of Islamic Cooperation's Council of Foreign Ministers (OIC CFM) meeting. "Look forward to continuing engagement on regional/ global issues and working closely to strengthen bilateral ties," he wrote.

It may be mentioned here that Qatar’s three-year-old dispute with Saudi Arabia and three other Arab countries was resolved earlier this week.

On Monday, a senior Trump administration official said a breakthrough had been reached and that an agreement aimed at ending the rift was to be signed in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. Riyadh reopened its airspace and land and sea border to Qatar on Monday.

The Kingdom, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain severed diplomatic ties and transport links with Qatar in 2017 over what they called its support for Islamist militants, an accusation Doha rejected.