Saudi, Qatar foreign ministers meet on Munich Security Conference sidelines

The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and Qatar met on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on Friday, in a new sign of warming relations between the two countries.

Qatari foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani met Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan on the day the annual conference bringing the world's top diplomatic and security officials together began.

The two ministers "discussed security issues in the region, and exchanged views on issues of common interest", the Qatari foreign ministry said. 

Tensions between the rival Gulf nations peaked in 2017, when Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, and the UAE imposed a diplomatic boycott and air, land and sea blockade on Qatar that lasted three-and-a-half years.

Riyadh and its rivals accused Qatar of supporting terrorism - a charge Doha denied.

Full ties were restored in January 2021 when the two sides signed the Al-Ula Declaration.

Qatari and Emirati officials met last week to discuss implementation of the landmark agreement.