UAE says Gulf Arab bloc still strong despite Qatar row

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UAE says Gulf Arab bloc still strong despite Qatar row

Dubai - The political crisis will end when the cause behind it ends, the minister said.

By Reuters

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Published: Thu 6 Dec 2018, 9:02 AM

Last updated: Thu 6 Dec 2018, 12:47 PM

The United Arab Emirates said on Thursday the Gulf Cooperation Council remained valid despite a bitter row with Qatar that has fractured the bloc ahead of an annual summit next week.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and non-GCC member Egypt have imposed a diplomatic and economic boycott on Qatar since June 2017 over allegations Doha supports terrorism.

"The main success of the council is in its economic aspects and the creation of a Gulf common market," Dr Anwar Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs tweeted.

"The political crisis will end when the cause behind it ends and that is Qatar's support of extremism and its interference in the stability of the region."
 

Last week, Qatar abruptly announced it was quitting OPEC after 57 years to focus on gas in an apparent swipe at the oil-exporter bloc's de facto leader Saudi Arabia.
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia has invited Qatar Amir to attend the December 9 gathering of heads of state.

The GCC groups Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. At last year's summit, held in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain sent ministers or deputy prime ministers.


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