Every Thursday, we bring you the latest updates on the blockade and GCC Crisis. Here's what happened last week: GCC Crisis Updates Week 184.
The General Secretariat of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) announced today that the Secretary-General H.E. Dr. Nayef Falah Al-Hajraf, delivered today a formal invitation from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Amir of Qatar, to attend the 41st GCC Summit being held in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on 5 January 2021, according to a GCC 41 Press Centre Press Release.
Anas Khaled Nasser Al-Saleh, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Kuwaiti Cabinet Affairs, said in a statement after the Kuwaiti Council of Ministers meeting, that the Council had seen the message that His Highness (H.H.) Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Emir of the State of Kuwait, received from his brother, H.H. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, in which His Highness expressed sincere thanks and appreciation for the role of H.H. the Emir of the State of Kuwait and his good endeavours to reach an end to the Gulf crisis, in continuation of the sincere and appreciative efforts initiated by the late H.H. the late Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, based on a report by Al-Sharq newspaper.
The Kuwaiti Cabinet expressed its deep satisfaction at the positive fraternal atmosphere that this summit is expected to witness, which reflects the spirit of responsibility and sincere belief in the importance of strengthening Gulf cohesion and deepening brotherhood, solidarity and unity of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in facing the serious challenges facing the region, and that the good efforts will be crowned with fruitful results. It is looked to by the people of the GCC countries, which embody the unity of purpose and destiny, the common pursuit of common interests, and everything that enhances its advancement and prosperity.
The General Secretariat of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) announced in a press release on Saturday, 26 December 2020, that the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has requested from H.E. the GCC Secretary-General, Dr. Nayef Falah Al-Hajraf, to deliver invitations to their Majesties and Highnesses, the leaders of the GCC states to attend the 41st GCC Summit being held in Saudi Arabia on January 5, 2021, according to a GCC Press Release.
There's no announcement yet if H.H. the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani will be attending the upcoming GCC Summit although Al Jazeera's sources say they expect that all heads of states will attend.
Read the full news here: Saudi King requests GCC Secretary-General to invite Gulf leaders to attend GCC Summit
Last week, Bahrain rejected a letter that was sent by Ambassador Alia Ahmed bin Saif Al Thani, the Qatari permanent representative to the UN, to the UN Security Council by Qatar to the UN Security Council about an alleged violation of its airspace by four Bahraini fighter jet on 9 December 2020s, according to Anadolu Agency.
A statement was made by the Bahraini Ministry of Foreign Affairs in which it stated:
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain affirms that the Qatari authorities’ claim that four fighters from the Royal Bahraini Air Force violated their airspace on Wednesday, December 9, 2020, is irresponsible and baseless.”
According to the Bahraini Foreign Ministry, on the said date, two Bahraini F-16s and two US F-16s were on a military drill in the Saudi Arabian military exercise area. Once the exercises were over, all four F-16s flew back to Bahrain's Isa Air Base after crossing Saudi airspace and did not violate Qatari airspace.
H.E. Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations Ambassador Sheikha Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani sent a letter to H.E. Permanent Representative of South Africa to the UN Ambassador Jerry Matjila, who is the President of the Security Council for December 2020, and to H.E. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, which included an official notification by the government of Qatar about Bahraini military aircraft's violations of Qatar's airspace over its territorial waters.
The letter expressed Qatar's strong condemnation of this act, considering it a violation of its territorial integrity, sovereignty and security which blatantly inconsistent with the obligations of the Kingdom of Bahrain under international law, and an escalation that raises the tension in the region that Bahrain contributed to increasing through its participation in the unjust blockade and the unlawful and unjustified actions against Qatar.
In the letter, Qatar appealed to the United Nations to take the necessary measures in accordance with the provisions of the Charter to put an end to Bahraini violations in order to maintain international and regional peace, security and stability.
Summarised from: GCC 41 Press Centre Press Release; Anadolu Agency; Al-Sharq newspaper; GCC Press Release; Al Jazeera; QNA
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