We welcome the opening of the land and sea borders, as well as the air space, between Saudi Arabia and Qatar. It is also major progress that the Gulf states agreed on a joint declaration which is to form the basis for resolving the conflict. For the first time since the start of the prolonged crisis between the Gulf states in 2017, the Emir of Qatar took part in the Gulf Cooperation Council Summit at the invitation of the King of Saudi Arabia.
The opening of the border does not just have a positive impact on stability and the economic situation in the Gulf states but is above all a bonus for the lives of people in the region. We hope that the rapprochement agreed today will now also soon be followed by further concrete steps.
The agreement reached today came about due to intensive mediation by Kuwait and the efforts of the United States, both of whom deserve our thanks. Together with its EU partners, the Federal Government also made repeated efforts to help bring about a solution to the crisis.