Those who applaud and those who grumble about Saudi Arabia’s (Biden) move with Qatar
What changes after Saudi Arabia abolished the air embargo against Qatar and which countries are in favor or doubtful about the agreement. The analyzes of Bianco (Limes), Olimpio (Corriere della Sera) and Ispi
Saudi Arabia has abolished the air embargo against Qatar , a move also followed by Bahrain, Egypt and the Emirates, which followed by choice and because they did not have many alternatives.
“An agreement with an international projection. An agreement that puts an end to three years of conflicts that go well beyond regional borders ", underlined Guido Olimpio of Corriere della Sera :" A turning point from the summit in Al Ula, a town north of Medina, where the Council met of the Gulf and the Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad al Thani also arrived. To receive him Mohammed bin Salman, the king's son and heir to the throne, but above all an ambitious (and impetuous) director in the kingdom ”.
THE ISPI REPORT ON THE SAUDI ARABIA-QATAR INTENSE
"In the end, pragmatism won – comments ISPI, the Institute for International Policy Studies – After three and a half years, the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) signed a" Stability and solidarity agreement " which puts an end to the embargo on Qatar imposed by Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. This was announced by the hereditary prince of the Saudi house Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS), thanking Kuwait which, together with the United States, played a delicate role of mediation to resolve the crisis ”.
THE PLAUSE OF EGYPT
All finished then? Perhaps, writes the Institute directed by Paolo Magri in a focus: “But if Egypt and the United Arab Emirates publicly applaud reconciliation, they would still be reluctant to compromise. Abu Dhabi, in particular, continues to harbor suspicion and distrust of the support that Doha provides to Islamist groups in Gaza, Libya and elsewhere, without considering the fact that the embargo, in recent years, has brought Qatar closer to enemies' ideological 'of Gulf monarchies like Turkey and Iran. On the other hand, Bahrain has repeatedly clashed with Qatar for the enforcement of maritime borders, with several incidents in recent months that have seen the Qatari coast guard intercept Manama's ships ”.
THE ANALYSIS OF CINZIA BIANCO ON LIMES
The draft agreement was already on the table from the end of November-beginning of December. The stimulus came from Riyadh, which guides this reconciliation of a bilateral nature, recalls Cinzia Bianco , Research fellow on Europe and the Gulf at the European Council on Foreign Relations, in an in-depth analysis on Limes : "The Saudi readiness to resume dialogue with Doha it served the good offices of Kuwait and the mediation of Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, who on the occasion of his visit to Saudi Arabia in early December had urged the kingdom to reconcile with Doha and normalize relations with Israel ”.
THE BIDEN THREAD TACTICS OF SAUDI ARABIA
The real reason – according to Bianco – lies in Saudi Arabia's attempt to reorient its tactics in view of the inauguration of Joe Biden , "who – reflecting a majority opinion in the Democratic Party – has spent anything but conciliatory words in against the Saudis. The latter, as far as possible, therefore intend to reposition themselves to demonstrate to the next president of the United States that they can be a constructive partner capable of stabilizing the region ”.
THE SYNERGY BETWEEN TURKEY AND QATAR
Turkey too – the analyst remarks on Limes – “looks at this reconciliation with cautious optimism, trying to protect its own interests. Since 2017 the alliance between Qatar and Turkey has taken on a strategic dimension. In exchange for protection from Saudo-Emirati hostility, Ankara received a blank check from Qatar. Détente in the Gulf is in the full Turkish interest, as long as it serves as a prelude to a rapprochement with the Saudis at the expense of the Emirates, which have emerged in recent years as Turkey's main geopolitical rivals ”.
THE DECLARATION OF TURKEY
Bianco's analysis is confirmed in a comment today that comes from Ankara: "The expression of the common will to resolve the Gulf dispute and the announcement of the restoration of diplomatic relations with Qatar at the end of the 41st Cooperation Council del Golfo is a welcome development. We hope that the declaration of Al Ula, signed at the end of the summit, will lead to the definitive resolution of the conflict ", wrote the Turkish Foreign Ministry in a note, which had already welcomed the previous announcements on the reopening of the borders with Qatar. . "With the restoration of mutual trust between the Gulf countries, Turkey is ready to further develop institutional cooperation with the Gulf Cooperation Council, of which it is a strategic partner", adds the Ankara note.
WHO IS DISAPPOINTED BY THE AGREEMENT
But there are those who do not celebrate according to Bianco: “The Saudo-Qatar reconciliation therefore disappoints Abu Dhabi, still firmly convinced that the Ankara-Doha duo is a strategic opponent. Although they cannot openly oppose Riyadh (or Biden) and must therefore rhetorically support the agreement, the Emirates will remain vigilant and determined to point out any missteps in Doha. And to prevent the Turkish-Qatar couple from being given carte blanche from behind the scenes ”.
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/mondo/chi-plaude-e-chi-borbotta-per-la-mossa-filo-biden-dellarabia-saudita-qatar/ on Wed, 06 Jan 2021 11:32:54 +0000.