Trade and mobility between GCC countries to begin within a week, says UAE

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

The return of mobility and trade among the GCC countries as per the Al Ula agreement will be within a week after the agreement has been signed, Dr. Anwar Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, said in a press conference on the outcomes of the recent GCC Summit in Saudi Arabia.

“The crisis could not be permanent; it was harsh in the media but there were no negative acts on the ground,” he added.

The Al Ula Agreement, which was the result of a Saudi commendable effort and Kuwaiti and US mediation, puts in place a mechanism for several committees to work on and talks about eliminating boycott measures within a week, he said, adding that there are bilateral tracks to address all issues among the GCC countries.

The UAE believes that the GCC solidarity decision is correct and that this crisis was not the first but rather the gravest, Gargash said. “We have overcome the most formidable challenges and there is regional and global satisfaction with the decision to end the crisis that is seen as a conflict at home,” he added.

Gargash explained that the UAE’s role in Yemen has practically ended, noting that the UAE believes that GCC solidarity is the right decision and there is a need to strengthen this solidarity.

He stressed the need to build trust between the four countries and Qatar and the UAE is hereby opening a new page and paving the way to another phase aimed at avoiding major or minor crises.

Media is a mirror that fuels a crisis and adds to it but it is not the basis for creating a crisis, he said.

“We are glad that we have turned the page of this crisis and are looking forward to the GCC future as the UAE is working to implement the Al Ula Agreement.