Gulf States Expect to Resume Trade, Air Links With Qatar in Days

(Bloomberg) --

Gulf states expect to open their airspace to Qatar and resume trade with the natural-gas powerhouse within a week of the Jan. 5 signing of an accord ending their rift, a senior United Arab Emirates minister said Thursday.

The agreement signed in Saudi Arabia at a summit of Gulf leaders has “a note about ending measures within a week,” Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said in a virtual media briefing, referring to the air and trade measures.

Under the accord, four Arab states including the UAE agreed to fully restore ties with Qatar, ending a three-year dispute that divided the energy-producing region at a time of heightened tensions over Iran.

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