CAIRO — Egyptian parliamentarians objected during a Jan. 26 parliament session to Egypt's decision to reconcile with Qatar and restore Egyptian-Qatari relations in light of “ongoing attacks on Egypt.”

Qatar and its Gulf Arab neighbors signed on Jan. 5 an agreement aimed at easing the economic and diplomatic boycott imposed on Doha since 2017. The leaders of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt reached an agreement with their regional rival during a meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in the Saudi desert city of al-Ula. 

Ahead of the signing of the agreement, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi had clarified his country's position on the Gulf reconciliation process, saying in a statement on Jan. 2, “The Egyptian policy focuses on achieving cooperation, building and supporting Arab solidarity as a solid strategic approach, within a framework of mutual respect and non-interference in internal affairs, and adhering to sincere intentions to achieve the common interest, as well as maintaining solidarity to ward off risks threatening the Arab nations and safeguarding their national security.”

Kuwait had led efforts to mediate between Qatar on the one hand and Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain on the other since the four countries cut ties with Qatar and imposed a blockade on the Gulf country over its ties to Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood in 2017. They had issued 13 demands to Qatar in return for reversing their actions. But Doha had rejected any measure that affects its national sovereignty and independence, noting at the same time its readiness for dialogue on the rule of parity and respect for sovereignty.