Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi met with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad on the sidelines of the Baghdad Conference for Cooperation and Partnership on Saturday, marking their first meeting after years of tension between the two countries over the political situation in Egypt. Relations between Egypt and Qatar have improved since the Gulf summit in Saudi Arabia last January, which announced the end of the dispute involving Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, and Egypt against Qatar that lasted more than three years.
An official statement from the Egyptian presidency spokesperson noted that President el-Sisi "confirmed Egypt's commitment to fruitful, comprehensive cooperation for the sake of good, construction, development, and supporting Arab solidarity based on mutual respect, common interests, and sincere intentions, as a fundamental principle and strategic approach of Egyptian policy."
For his part, the Emir of Qatar expressed "appreciation for the positive developments in Egyptian-Qatari relations, praising the recent exchange of visits and the resumption of cooperation frameworks between the two countries," according to the Egyptian presidency statement. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad emphasized "Qatar’s eagerness to enhance discussions with Egypt on ways to strengthen bilateral relations, in a manner that serves the aspirations of both countries."
The Egyptian presidency spokesperson added that the Egyptian president and the Emir of Qatar agreed to "continue consultations and efforts to advance relations between the two countries in the coming period, in addition to persistent reciprocal steps aimed at resuming various mechanisms of bilateral cooperation, consistent with the progress seen in Egyptian-Qatari relations within the framework of the 'Al-Ula Statement.'"
In June, the Egyptian president issued a decision to appoint an "Extraordinary Ambassador" to Doha, and Qatar sent an ambassador to Cairo in August. Coordination between the two countries contributed to halting hostilities between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, leading to a ceasefire agreement in May.
