Blockading nations restore postal services to Qatar

While the illegal blockade imposed on Qatar remains in place, a new move by the siege nations indicates that tensions may be easing to some degree.

Followed by a decision of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) earlier this month, other blockading nations such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Bahrain have also resumed postal services to Qatar.

Qatar’s Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA) confirmed this recently. 

The restoration of postal services between the siege nations and Qatar comes after a United Nations Universal Postal Union (UPU) meeting, held on January 29, 2020, at the UPU headquarters in Berne, Switzerland. 

The Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA) announced that the blockading countries (United Arab Emirates, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Arab Republic of Egypt and Kingdom of Bahrain) have restored the provision of postal services addressed to the State of Qatar. #QNA

— Qatar News Agency (@QNAEnglish) February 26, 2020

Officials from the concerned countries participated in the meeting that was organized by the UPU to improve postal ties between the different parties.

According to the CRA statement, “This means that in the course of Feb 2020, the blockading countries will resume postal services to Qatar through a specified third country (the Sultanate of Oman).”

“The measure ends the suspension of postal traffic which the blockading countries put in place since the beginning of the siege in June 2017,” the statement notes.

“As a result of the blockade, postal services companies in Qatar were not able to receive or send postal items to the blockading countries or were even able to receive and send postal items to other countries through the blockading countries,” the statement describes.

This has had a huge impact on those people in Qatar who used postal services for commercial purposes or to stay connected with their family members or friends in the blockading countries or through them.

Qatar Postal Services Company (Q-Post) is willing to restart postal services with the siege countries to protect the rights of postal consumers in Qatar, the statement mentioned.

However, the CRA also said it is working with the relevant bodies to proceed with the complaint lodged by Qatar based on the UPU Rules. This is connected with the blockading nations suspending postal traffic to Qatar.

CRA said this issue would be reviewed in the UPU council of administration meeting that is ongoing and sees the participation of a high-level Qatari delegation.

--

Make sure to check out our social media to keep track of the latest content.

Instagram - @qatarliving

Twitter - @qatarliving

Facebook - Qatar Living

Source: QNA