RIYADH: Jassem Mohammed Al-Budaiwi, secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council, welcomed the resumption of diplomatic ties between Bahrain and Qatar following the success of the Bahraini-Qatari Follow-Up Committee’s second meeting, which took place in Riyadh. The official applauded this step, which stems from the directives of the leaders of the GCC countries that were issued at the Sultan Qaboos and Sheikh Sabah Summit, held in AlUla in 2021. He said that the directives embody the GCC’s keenness to secure the future and protect the cohesion of the council. The Arab Parliament also welcomed the Manama-Doha decision to resume diplomatic relations. In a statement, the Cairo-based Arab Parliament hailed the Bahraini-Qatari agreement as a “positive step towards enhancing joint Arab action and regional security and stability.”