Gulf nations vow unity at historic GCC Summit

Gulf nations vow unity at historic GCC Summit

Full ties have been restored between Qatar and the Gulf nations, Saudi Arabia's foreign minister said on Tuesday.

“What happened today is the turning of the page on all points of difference and a full return of diplomatic relations,” Prince Faisal bin Farhan told a Press conference at the conclusion of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit in Saudi Arabia.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, who led the UAE's delegation, said the summit had brought unity to the region. “The changes and challenges surrounding us require strength, cohesion and real Gulf cooperation,” he tweeted.

Leaders of the six-member GCC signed two documents on Tuesday, the Al Ula Declaration, named after the Saudi city where this year's regional summit was held, and a final communique.

Saudi Arabia had led a coalition of countries in the Gulf and beyond to cut ties and transport links with Qatar in June 2017, after it was seen to be backing radical groups.

Those countries, along with Oman and Kuwait which have mediated between the two sides, signed the rapprochement deal, after Riyadh re-opened its land,