Egypt sends foreign minister to Gulf Arab leaders' summit

CAIRO: Egypt is being represented by its foreign minister at a summit of Gulf Arab leaders on Tuesday expected to produce a formal agreement towards ending a regional dispute with Qatar, an official source said.

Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry flew to the summit in al-Ula in Saudi Arabia after an announcement that Riyadh would reopen its airspace and sea and land border to Qatar, the source and Egyptian state media said.

Egypt joined Gulf allies Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain in severing diplomatic, trade and travel ties with Qatar in 2017 over allegations it supports terrorism, a charge Doha denies.

In recent days the Egyptian presidency and foreign ministry have softened their tone, expressing support for reconciliation.

However, they said any deal should include commitments to "non-interference in internal affairs, confronting all threats to the security and stability of Arab countries and peoples, and preserving Arab national security".

When the boycott was announced, Egypt and its allies demanded Qatar cut ties with the Muslim Brotherhood, among other demands.

The Islamist group was outlawed in Egypt after then-army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi led the ouster of the Brotherhood's Mohamed Mursi from the presidency in 2013, before being elected president himself the following year.

Much of the group's senior leadership was jailed in Egypt but other members took refuge abroad in Qatar or its regional ally Turkey.

Egypt and the UAE have also found themselves at odds with Turkey and Qatar in Libya, where they have backed opposing factions in a civil conflict.

Two Egyptian intelligence sources told Reuters earlier this week that Egypt was still making Doha cutting support for Muslim Brotherhood leaders abroad a condition for the restoration of ties with Qatar.