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GCC prepares for its annual summit

18 December 2020

The ambassadors of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) met in Kuwait to discuss regional matters ahead of the 2021 Gulf Summit scheduled to take place on the 5th of January.

Kuwait’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah said on Thursday that Saudi Arabia will be hosting the summit. The annual meeting which usually happens in December is pushed till next month to give parties time to resolve the Qatar crisis. 

GCC ambassadors congratulated Al-Sabah for “regaining the confidence of His Highness Emir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, along with their gratitude and appreciation for his initiative to hold the meeting,” the report said. 

Sources in the GCC say they expect all heads of state to attend the meeting for the first time since the Qatar crisis started in 2017.  

A foreign diplomat in the region, who also expected full participation at the gathering, said a preliminary deal, however, may be followed by a renewed impasse. 

It is still not clear if any agreements will involve Egypt. Bassam Rady, spokesman for the Egyptian presidency, on Wednesday told a talk show on Sada El-Balad TV that the latest mediation moves to help defuse tensions between the four Arab countries and the Qataris had been unsuccessful. On the other hand, Egypt's foreign minister, Sameh Shoukry indicated that a solution could be within reach. 

 

Source: commonspace.eu with agencies. 
Photo: GCC Ambassadors meet in Kuwait (Twitter: @kuna-en). 

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