Maldives to reinstate diplomatic relations with Qatar

The government of Maldives announced Tuesday its decision to reinstate full diplomatic relations with Qatar, nearly three years after the island nation severed ties with the Gulf nation.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid made the declaration just hours after Saudi Arabia announced that the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt were joining it in re-establishing ties with Qatar, during the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)'s annual summit held earlier the same day.