Talks meant to resolve ongoing Persian Gulf dispute break down: Sources

Diplomatic sources say negotiations between Saudi Arabia and Qatar to resolve a bitter bilateral conflict and end a Persian Gulf regional diplomatic and economic rift have broke down soon after starting.

Qatar's priority in the discussions was to restore free movement for its citizens to the four countries – Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) – that are involved in an economic and diplomatic embargo against it, access to the airspace of those states and reopening Qatar's only land border shared with Saudi Arabia, four Western diplomats in the Persian Gulf region and two sources familiar with Qatari thinking said on Tuesday.

The Riyadh regime, on the other hand, wanted Qatar to first demonstrate a fundamental change in its behavior, particularly in its foreign policy, three of the diplomats said.

Talk of 'real progress' in Doha-Riyadh rapprochement early: Qatari FM

The Qatari foreign minister says it is still early to talk about “real progress” in negotiations between Doha and Riyadh over the ongoing Saudi-led blockade.

One diplomat said Saudi Arabia wanted a new arrangement with Qatar, which would presumably require Doha to make fresh commitments.

“That's a non-starter for Qatar as there are so many foreign policy disagreements,” one of the diplomats said.

Two additional Persian Gulf sources familiar with the talks said Saudi Arabia, which was representing its allies in the talks, ended the negotiations shortly after the 40th (Persian) Gulf Cooperation Council in Riyadh on December 10, 2019, which Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani did not attend.

A source familiar with Saudi thinking asserted Riyadh had pinned high hopes on the talks, but things were now “back to square one.”

Qatar cites 'small progress' in talks to mend ties with Saudi Arabia

Qatar says there was “small progress” in talks last week with Saudi Arabia on healing their two-year rift.

But a Qatari source familiar with government thinking told Reuters that discussions had ended because demands on Qatar were unrealistic, saying, “We weren't going to become a proxy state.”

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt cut off diplomatic ties with Qatar on June 5, 2017, after officially accusing it of “sponsoring terrorism.”

Libya, the Maldives, Djibouti, Senegal and the Comoros later joined the camp in ending diplomatic ties with Doha. Jordan downgraded its diplomatic relations as well.

Qatar's Foreign Ministry later announced that the decision to cut diplomatic ties was unjustified and based on false claims and assumptions.

Qatari emir turns down Saudi invitation to join GCC summit in Riyadh

Qatar

On June 9, 2017, Qatar strongly dismissed allegations of supporting terrorism after the Saudi regime and its allies blacklisted dozens of individuals and entities purportedly associated with Doha.

Later that month, Saudi Arabia and its allies released a 13-point list of demands, including the closure of al-Jazeera television network and downgrade of relations with Iran, in return for the normalization of diplomatic relations with Doha.

The document also asked Qatar to sever all ties with the Muslim Brotherhood and the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement.

Qatar rejected the demands as "unreasonable."

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