A United States intelligence report that lays blame for the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the feet of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman raises stark questions about the future of US-Saudi relations.
The countries have long been strategic allies, with Washington viewing Riyadh as a lynchpin in its wider Middle East strategy and as an influential ally both in the so-called “war on terror” and international fossil fuels market.
But the findings of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) report, which concluded that the Saudi crown prince approved the operation that resulted in the death of Khashoggi will heap pressure on US President Joe Biden to make good on his promise to re-assess the US-Saudi relationship.
Qatar Chair in Japan’s Waseda University to be inaugurated in May
17 Feb 2021 - 8:26
Ambassador of Japan to Qatar, Kazuo Sunaga
By PK Niaz | The Peninsula
Doha: The Ambassador of Japan to Qatar, H E Kazuo Sunaga, has hailed the 50 years of diplomatic relationship between the two countries as bold and fruitful.
“As part of the celebrations both the countries are planning a number of cultural events and due to the coronovirus pandemic we cannot announce the programmes for now,” the Ambassador said during a press meet held in connection with the National Day, at his residence yesterday.
The Ambassador said that one of the most important events taking place during this 50th anniversary will be the inauguration of a Qatar Chair at the University of Waseda in Tokyo in May this year.
Qatar Chair in Japan s Waseda University to be inaugurated in May menafn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from menafn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
At the start of 2020, talks to end the years-long Gulf diplomatic crisis abruptly came to an end.
For nearly a whole year, the regional rift between Qatar and a Saudi-led alliance remained in a stalemate as countries focused their efforts on combating the coronavirus pandemic.
But earlier this month, reports of a potential deal to resolve the dispute has raised questions about what a preliminary agreement would entail, and who exactly would it involve.
Reports of reconciliation come ahead of an upcoming GCC summit, scheduled to convene in the Saudi capital Riyadh on January 5.
The reports come nearly four years after an air, land and sea blockade was imposed on Qatar by fellow Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain as well as non-GCC member Egypt.
Saudi Arabia, Qatar Inch Closer to End The Gulf Dispute Published December 11th, 2020 - 09:52 GMT
Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal Bin Farhan al-Saud (Twitter)
Highlights
As a result, “a backchannel diplomacy” led by the US and Kuwait, another Gulf country which has refused to join the blockade against Qatar, has been initiated to end the dispute between Saudi Arabia and Qatar, according to Rende.
Saudi Arabia and Qatar have appeared to get closer to signing a deal to end the Gulf dispute, but the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt still have reservations.
Since June 2017, Qatar, a tiny Gulf country with rich gas reserves, has faced a tight blockade from its neighbours, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE, which are backed by Egypt.