CAIRO // Qatar returned its ambassador to Cairo on Tuesday, nearly a month after recalling him in response to an Egyptian official accusing Doha of supporting terrorism.
The ambassador was summoned home for consultation after Egypt carried out airstrikes on Libya in February in response to the beheading of 21 Egyptian Christians, who had been taken captive by an ISIL affiliate.
Qatar protested Egypt’s “unilateral” airstrikes, while Cairo’s delegate to the Arab League accused Doha of supporting terrorism.
Now, Egypt and Qatar both back the Saudi-led airstrikes against Shiite rebels in Yemen, which began last week.
The ambassador resumed his work on Tuesday, after returning to Egypt with the emir of Qatar to attend an Arab League summit last weekend that endorsed the Saudi-led strikes.
Cairo and Doha have been at odds since the Egyptian military removed president Mohammed Morsi from power following mass protests against him. Qatar was a strong backer of Mr Morsi and protested his ouster.
The military-backed government that succeeded Mr Morsi withdrew Egypt’s envoy from Doha in January 2014, accusing Qatar of meddling, and of using the Qatar-based Al Jazeera television network to stir chaos. Al Jazeera has denied the allegations.
On Tuesday, the Egyptian foreign ministry said any decision to return its ambassador to Qatar will be made “according to national interest consideration,” referring to earlier comments made by the minister.
Saudi Arabia has been attempting to reconcile Egypt and Qatar.
* Associated Press
