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ATHENS: Common interests are bringing together regional coalitions of like-minded countries in the Middle East and eastern Mediterranean favoring stability, combating extremism and respecting international law in bilateral and multilateral formats.
The latest examples of this diplomatic activism are the meeting of the foreign ministers of Greece, Israel, Cyprus and the UAE that took place on Friday; and the forthcoming visit of Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias and Defense Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos to Saudi Arabia.
The four-way talks in the Cypriot city of Paphos marked the first time that the UAE had participated in one of the multilateral forums that have been created in the eastern Mediterranean since 2010.
Commentary
Editorial director
The Al-Ula Accord, signed on 5 January 2021 at the conclusion of the 41st GCC Summit in Al-Ula, Saudi Arabia, represents a significant shift in regional relations after three-and-a-half years of political deadlock.
But it does not signal the end of tensions within the GCC.
While the accord outlines some 117 areas of agreement and cooperation between Bahrain, Egypt, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, it does not specify the exact status of trade and diplomatic relations between each country. Nor does it describe the sentiment behind the scenes.
The disagreements over policies and behaviours that sparked the dramatic fallout between Riyadh, Abu Dhabi, Manama, Cairo and Doha remain.