Topic of the day:-“Widening Gulf”
QATAR IS NOW TAKING THE FIGHT TO THE SAUDI ARABIA-LED OPEC AND GCC
Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani’s decision to stay away from the December 9 Gulf Cooperation Council summit in Riyadh is the latest reminder of the growing disunity among the Gulf countries. Qatar, blockaded by three GCC countries, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain, and their non-GCC allies, has said it will not discuss a compromise unless the blockade is lifted. The Saudi-led bloc imposed it in June 2017, accusing Qatar of funding terrorism. But as Riyadh came under increasing global pressure after the murder of Jamal Khashoggi in its consulate in Istanbul, it has shown signs of reconciliation. In October, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is believed to have ordered the Khashoggi hit, surprised observers by praising the Qatari economy. The personal invitation to the GCC meet from King Salman bin Abdulaziz to the Qatari Emir followed the Crown Prince’s remarks. But Qatar, a tiny kingdom but the largest exporter of liquefied natural gas, remains defiant. Doha has announced its decision to quit OPEC, the first Arab nation to do so since the cartel was formed in 1960. Though Qatar said the decision was not political, clearly its exit from OPEC was a snub to Saudi Arabia, its de facto leader. The blockade has triggered tensions among other GCC countries as well. Saudi Arabia is upset that Oman and Kuwait did not join the embargo. Kuwait was trying to mediate between the rivals camps, which hasn’t gone down well with Riyadh. Last September, the Crown Prince started a two-day tour of Kuwait. But ties were reportedly so tense that he left the country within a few hours. Oman continues to be independent of Saudi influence by keeping ties open with both Qatar and Iran. The blockade has made Qatar only more independent in its foreign policy decisions. It has stepped up assistance for Hamas in Gaza, accelerated a plan to allow Turkey to set up a military camp in the country and resisted calls to cut ties with Iran. The decision to quit OPEC and the Emir’s absence at the GCC meet (a state minister was sent to represent the country) point to an increasingly confident Qatar. But the intra-Gulf quarrels have dampened hopes for the integration of the region. The bloc, which once talked about a common Gulf currency and robust connectivity projects, is now a ghost of its old self. After the summit, the GCC issued a customary statement, emphasising regional stability and economic challenges. Even as the summit was on, Bahrain Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa criticised the Emir’s decision to skip the meet, while Doha slammed the communiqué for its failure to address the blockade. That is the state of affairs in the GCC.
MEANINGS AND WORDS
1) imposed
Meaning : force (an unwelcome decision or ruling) on someone.(v)
Synonyms : demand
Antonyms : disorder
Example : “the decision was theirs and was not imposed on them by others”
2) emerge
Meaning : move out of or away from something and become visible.
Synonyms : develop
Antonyms : decrease
Example : “black ravens emerged from the fog”
3) reconciliation
Meaning : the action of making one view or belief compatible with another.
Synonyms : agreement
Antonyms : disagreement
Example : “any possibility of reconciliation between such clearly opposed positions”
4) defiant
Meaning : showing defiance.(adj)
Synonyms : audacious
Antonyms : acquiescent
Example : “a defiant gesture”
5) snub
Meaning : an act of rebuffing or ignoring someone or something(n).
Synonyms : disregard
Antonyms : praise
Example : “the move was a snub to the government”
6) triggered
Meaning : (of a response) caused by particular action, process, or situation.
Synonyms : generate
Antonyms : destroy
Example : “a triggered memory of his childhood”
7) mediate
Meaning : intervene in a dispute in order to bring about an agreement or reconciliation.(v)
Synonyms : arbitrate
Antonyms : refuse
Example : “Wilson attempted to mediate between the powers to end the war”
8) accelerated
Meaning : increase in rate, amount, or extent.(v)
Synonyms : increased
Example : “inflation started to accelerate”
9) dampened
Meaning : make less strong or intense.
Synonyms : sprinkle
Antonyms : collect
Example : “nothing could dampen her enthusiasm”
10) integration
Meaning : the action or process of integrating.(n)
Synonyms : assimilation
Antonyms : disunion
Example : “economic and political integration”
11) customary
Meaning : according to the customs or usual practices associated with a particular society, place, or set of circumstances.
Synonyms : accepted
Antonyms : abnormal
Example : “it is customary to mark an occasion like this with a toast”
12) emphasising
Meaning : give special importance or value to (something) in speaking or writing(v).
Synonyms : attention
Antonyms : ignorance
Example : “they emphasize the need for daily, one-to-one contact between parent and child”
13) slammed
Meaning : shut (a door, window, or lid) forcefully and loudly.
Synonyms : batter
Antonyms : assist
Example : “he slams the door behind him as he leaves”
14) erred
Meaning : be mistaken or incorrect; make a mistake(v).
Synonyms : misbehave
Antonyms : behave
Example : “the judge had erred in ruling that the evidence was inadmissible”
15) privileging
Meaning : grant a privilege or privileges to(v).
Synonyms : accredit
Antonyms : disallow
Example : “English inheritance law privileged the eldest son”
16) mould
Meaning : a distinctive and typical style, form, or character.
Synonyms : blight
Example : “he’s a superb striker in the same mould as Gary Lineker”
17) mockery
Meaning : teasing and contemptuous language or behaviour directed at a particular person or thing.
Synonyms : farce
Antonyms : flattery
Example : “stung by her mockery, Frankie hung his head”
18) conventions
Meaning : a way in which something is usually done.(n)
Synonyms : show
Antonyms : discord
Example : “to attract the best patrons the movie houses had to ape the conventions and the standards of theatres”
19) preceded
Meaning : come before in order or position(v).
Synonyms : anticipate
Antonyms : end
Example : “take time to read the chapters that precede the recipes”
20) opted
Meaning : make a choice from a range of possibilities.(v)
Synonyms : decide
Antonyms : dislike
Example : “consumers will opt for low-priced goods”
