Shafaq News/ On Friday, Iraq welcomes restoring diplomatic relations between Qatar and Bahrain after years of rupture.

According to a statement from the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, "the agreement adheres to the principles of the United Nations Charter and the provisions of the Vienna Treaty on Diplomatic Relations of 1961 AD, and enhances regional stability and security in the region, especially for the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf."

Yesterday, the Bahraini-Qatari Follow-up Committee announced that diplomatic relations between the two countries would be restored following a meeting at the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf in Riyadh.

Delegations from both countries reached the decision. The Kingdom of Bahrain was represented by the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Political Affairs, Abdullah bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, and Qatar was represented by the Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The decision is significant in resolving a long-standing dispute between the two Gulf nations. It began in 2017 when Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt imposed a blockade on Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorism and cozying up to Iran.

Efforts to resolve the dispute have been ongoing, with Kuwait and the United States among those mediating talks between the countries.

In January 2021, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and the UAE agreed to lift the blockade on Qatar. Since then, several rounds of talks have been aimed at restoring diplomatic relations between the countries.

The announcement of the restoration of diplomatic ties between Bahrain and Qatar comes just days after Saudi Arabia received the Syrian Foreign Minister and an Iranian delegation to reopen embassies and consulates.

The restoration of ties between Bahrain and Qatar is expected to positively impact the region, with analysts predicting that it could lead to further reconciliation efforts between other Gulf countries. It is also likely to boost trade and investment between Bahrain and Qatar, which traditionally have close economic ties.