Qatar, Bahrain to restore diplomatic relations

The Qatari-Bahraini Follow-up Committee Wednesday decided to restore diplomatic relations between the two countries, in accordance with the principles of the United Nations Charter and the provisions of the Vienna Treaty on Diplomatic Relations of 1961.The decision was taken during the second meeting of the Follow-up Committee held at the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the GCC in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.Qatar’s delegation was headed by HE Dr Ahmed bin Hassan al-Hammadi, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs while Dr Shaikh Abdulla bin Ahmed al-Khalifa, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Political Affairs, led the Bahraini delegation.The meeting discussed the topics on the agenda and reviewed the outcomes of the first meeting of the Joint Legal Committee and the Joint Security Committee.The two sides affirmed that this step stems from a mutual desire to develop bilateral relations and enhance Gulf integration and unity in accordance with the GCC charter, and respect for the principles of equality between states, national sovereignty and independence, territorial integrity, and good neighbourliness.