GCC Summit: Why does Gulf rapprochement matter?
CGTN
Last week there were signs that a rapprochement between rival Arab Gulf states might be on the cards. Since then, that optimism has been toned down, prompting discussion about how reconciliation might eventually be achieved and what it could look like.
The optimism began a couple of weeks ago when the Gulf Cup football tournament kicked off in Qatar. Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain all sent teams to compete despite having held a two-year boycott against the host.
Then, at the Med Dialogue forum in Rome, Saudi and Qatari foreign ministers all indicated movement taking place between their countries. Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir, Saudi Arabia's foreign minister, said that despite the problems between his country and Qatar being well known, he noted the changes made in Qatar's laws regarding financing of terrorist groups.
