Arab, Gulf and international leaders and organization hailed the success of the 41st Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit that was hosted by AlUla on Tuesday.
The summit made several significant announcements, chief of which was the end of the rift between Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt with Qatar.
Before departing AlUla, Kuwait Emir Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Jaber Al-Sabah sent a message of congratulations to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz on the success of the summit. He said the constructive agreements that were reached will bolster joint GCC work.
Kuwait’s National Assembly Speaker Marzouq al-Ghanim echoed the sentiment, while highlighting the efforts exerted by the emir in recent weeks in helping end the Gulf row.
Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa applauded the major efforts exerted by Saudi Arabia, under the leadership of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, to prepare for the summit.
Sultan of Oman Haitham bin Tariq sent a written message to King Salman tackling the “strong and close fraternal relations” that bind their countries and ways to bolster them in various fields.
In Amman, the Jordanian government welcomed the outcomes of the GCC summit. Foreign Minister Ayman al-Safadi said the AlUla declaration is a major achievement in resolving the Gulf row and returning fraternal relations to their right path.
Such an achievement will bolster solidarity and stability in the Arab Gulf region and serve the aspirations of its people for growth and developments, he added. It will also boost comprehensive Arab unity and efforts to confront common challengers.
The United States said it was “encouraged by the breakthrough made with the AlUla declaration, which marks a positive step toward restoring Gulf and Arab unity.”
“We welcome the pledge today to restore cooperation in military, economic, health, counter-corruption, and cultural initiatives,” said the State Department in a statement.
“We hope the Gulf countries will continue to reconcile their differences. Restoring full diplomatic relations is imperative for all parties in the region to unite against common threats. We are stronger when we stand together,” it added. “The United States thanks Kuwait for its mediation efforts and support in resolving the Gulf dispute.”
The European Union welcomed Saudi Arabia’s announcement that it was reopening its airspace and land border with Qatar, hoping it will help end the Gulf dispute.
Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit welcomed the outcome of the GCC summit, saying: “The major challenges facing the Arab world demand the resolution of the rift as soon as possible.”
He underscored the importance of supporting the results of the summit through confidence building.
In Khartoum, the Sudanese government expressed its relief at the resolution of the Gulf dispute.
Gulf wisdom is needed during this face to achieve the interests of members of the GCC and aspirations of its people, said the foreign ministry.
In Turkey, head of the opposition Future Party, Ahmet Davutoglu, welcomed the AlUla declaration and reopening of the borders between Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
In a tweet, he said the overcoming the problems between the two neighbors was “reassuring”, stressing that the region needs cooperation and solidarity. He also congratulated Kuwait on the role it played in mediating the reconciliation.
