Saudi prince's visit seals thaw in ties with Qatar

0 Comments | AFP, March, 2008

DOHA (AFP) — Gas-rich Qatar and oil powerhouse Saudi Arabia sealed a thaw in ties during a visit by the Saudi crown prince to Doha which ended Wednesday after six years of tensions between the two Gulf neighbours.

"We want to energise and develop relations, whether in the economic field or in terms of political and security coordination," Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabr al-Thani was quoted as saying by the official QNA news agency.

He said he looked forward to "a new era and to political and economic agreement" between the two countries, which are partners in the Gulf Cooperation Council alongside Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and the United Arab Emirates.

The three-day visit to Doha of Saudi Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, "the wise and...