Egypt, Saudi Arabia accuse Qatar of undermining Gulf security
As Saudi Arabia seeks to thaw relations with Qatar, it called for a meeting with Egyptian officials, during which the two countries condemned Qatar’s interception of two Bahraini coastguard vessels in the Arabian Sea.
Amid reports that Saudi Arabia and Qatar are close to reaching a deal to end the nearly four-year-long Gulf dispute, signs of tension remain that could hamper a final agreement. With Kuwait working to mediate and build on US-brokered talks, maritime navigation issues have emerged as another sticking point.
Egypt and Saudi Arabia on Dec. 1 called for guaranteeing the freedom of navigation in the Gulf, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Red Sea. In a joint statement issued following a meeting of the Egyptian-Saudi political consultation committee in Riyadh, the two countries warned that any attempt to hinder navigation poses a threat to regional security and stability.
The meeting came days after Qatari patrols intercepted on Nov. 25 two Bahraini coastguard vessels conducting a maritime exercise in the Arabian Sea. The Bahraini Interior Ministry described the Qatari action as a “blatant violation” of international maritime conventions.
“No country has the right to intercept by force a coastguard ship or vessel, especially since the incident occurred in the territorial waters of Bahrain,” the ministry said in a statement. The Bahraini parliament also warned that the Qatari boat interception threatened regional security and stability.
