Saudis in border deal with Qatar

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/middle_east/7788530.stm

Version 0 of 1.

Saudi Arabia and Qatar have agreed a final delineation of their borders and pledged to boost co-operation, Saudi officials and state media say.

The move came at the first meeting of a joint co-ordination council and ends a long dispute between the two countries.

Relations had reached a low point when the Saudis recalled their ambassador in 2002 in protest at coverage by Qatari-owned satellite TV channel, al-Jazeera.

Saudi Arabia re-established diplomatic relations with Qatar in March.

Tuesday's agreement was signed at a meeting attended by Saudi Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz and Qatari Crown Prince Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani.

"The demarcation of borders has been definitively completed," the Saudi prince said.

Saudi Arabia is the Gulf's most conservative Arab state, while Qatar has tried to forge an independent stance on issues including media freedom and contacts with Israel.

But some observers said al-Jazeera had toned down criticism of Saudi Arabia ahead of the rapprochement in March.