The World Health Organization chief on Tuesday said he is "very disappointed" that China has not allowed into the country a team set to examine the causes of the novel coronavirus.  

"I'm very disappointed with this news given that two members had already begun their journeys, and others were not able to travel at the last minute," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a bi-weekly press webinar.

"Today, we learned that Chinese officials have not yet finalized the necessary permissions for the team's arrival in China."

The team was to have visited China’s Wuhan city, where the novel coronavirus first emerged in December 2019.

The investigation was called for soon after the outbreak by several nations.

At that time, there were no known cases of the virus outside China. In contrast, there are now more than 86 million confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide, with over 1.86 million related deaths, according to US-based Johns Hopkins University.

"I have been assured that China is speeding up the internal procedure for the earliest possible deployment. We are eager to get the mission underway as soon as possible," he said.

In June, outgoing US President Donald Trump had said China had "total control" over the WHO, claiming "Chinese officials ignored their reporting obligations" to the health body during the pandemic and "pressured" it to "mislead the world."

Meanwhile, Mike Ryan, WHO's executive director of health emergencies, said the WHO was operating on the understanding that the team would begin deployment in China on Tuesday.

"They're coming from far away and through difficult journeys.  

"But in the meantime, it became clear that the necessary approvals had not been gotten, specifically in regards to visa clearances.

"And we did not want to put people in the air unnecessarily if there wasn't a guarantee of their arrival in China being successful," he said.

Ryan said the WHO chief took immediate action and spoke with senior Chinese officials "and has fully impressed upon them the absolutely critical nature of this... We trust, and we hope that this is just a logistic and bureaucratic issue that can be resolved quickly."/aa

RIYADH - Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan on Tuesday hailed end of the Gulf crisis with Qatar as a "new chapter" for the Gulf's security and stability.

The Al-Ula Declaration signed on Tuesday at the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit, held in the Saudi city Al-Ula, ended the dispute of the Saudi-led Arab camp with Qatar, the Saudi top diplomat was quoted by Al Arabiya TV as saying.

He said that the accomplishment was "a new chapter" to promote security and stability in the region.

The foreign minister made the remarks while addressing a press conference after the summit, highlighting the commitment of concerned countries to tackle all topics of the declaration through negotiations.

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud stressed, while chairing the summit, the importance of the Al-Ula Declaration for the solidarity and stability in the Gulf.

He said that the declaration would strengthen the bonds of friendship and brotherhood among GCC member countries and peoples to serve their aspirations.

Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah praised the historic achievement by signing the Al-Ula Declaration, which he called as "the Solidarity Agreement" that reflects keenness on the unity of the Arab nation.

A Saudi-led Arab quartet, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt, cut diplomatic ties with Qatar in June 2017 and imposed a full embargo on the Gulf state, accusing Doha of supporting terrorism. Qatar has repeatedly denied all the charges.

The end of the crisis started on Monday with the decision by Saudi Arabia to reopen its airspace and borders to Qatar.

The 41st GCC Supreme Council session was attended by Gulf leaders, and senior officials from the US, Arab and Islamic organizations, including Senior Advisor to US President Jared Kushner, Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Yousef Al-Othaimeen, and Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmed Aboul Gheit.

Egypt also took part in the meeting, represented by Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry./ Agencies

BEIRUT, (Xinhua) -- The Lebanese Foreign Ministry welcomed on Tuesday the reopening of land, sea and air borders between Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

The Lebanese Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it appreciates the efforts of Kuwait, hoping this step would contribute to achieving stability in the region and ensuring security and prosperity for Arab countries.

The reopening of the Saudi-Qatari borders came on the eve of the 41st Gulf Cooperation Council Summit, which began on Tuesday in the Saudi city of Al-Ula, with the participation of the Qatari emir, which opens the way for reconciliation to end a years-long crisis.

Since June 2017, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt have imposed a land, air and sea blockade on Qatar against its "support for terrorism" which Qatar denies.

TRIPOLI, (Xinhua) -- Prime Minister Fayez Serraj of the UN-backed Libyan government welcomed on Tuesday the results of the 41st Gulf Cooperation Council Summit held in Saudi Arabia which ended the rift with Qatar.

"The President of the Presidential Council of the Government of National Accord welcomes the outcomes of the Gulf Cooperation Council Summit held in Saudi Arabia, which succeeded in clearing the atmosphere and strengthening brotherhood" in the Gulf region, in a way that strengthens Arab solidarity, Serraj said in a statement later Tuesday.

"The President of the Presidential Council stresses that the Al-Ula Declaration is an important step in the right direction and hopes it would lead to Arab reunification and effectively contribute to establishing security and stability in Libya and ending all negative interference," the statement said.

The prime minister also stressed the need to reinforce full commitment to mutual respect, the sovereignty of countries, and their national unity.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt cut diplomatic ties with Qatar in June 2017 and has since imposed a full embargo on the Gulf state, accusing Doha of supporting terrorism. Qatar has repeatedly denied all the charges.

The end of the crisis started on Monday with the decision by Saudi Arabia to reopen its airspace and borders to Qatar.

Egypt signed on Tuesday a reconciliation agreement with Qatar at the 41st Gulf Cooperation Summit in Saudi Arabia, its Foreign Ministry said.

The ministry said the country "appreciates every sincere effort made to achieve reconciliation between the Arab quartet countries [Saudi Arabia, Egypt, United Arab Emirates and Bahrain] and Qatar.”

The agreement would consolidate Arab action in the face of regional challenges, it said, and hailed efforts for reconciliation between the Arab quartet and Qatar, especially by Kuwait.

The summit was attended by Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad for the first time in more than three years.

Accusing it of supporting terrorism and meddling in their internal affairs, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, and Egypt had in 2017 severed all ties with Qatar.

Doha denied the charges and voiced readiness for dialogue to end the impasse.

The summit culminated with Gulf leaders signing an agreement known as the Al-Ula statement. No further details were provided.

Kuwait, however, has announced that Saudi Arabia will open its airspace and land border to Qatar in the first step toward ending the diplomatic crisis./aa

Turkey on Tuesday welcomed the outcome of the 41st Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit held in Saudi Arabia, which saw reconciliation between Gulf states.

"The expression of common will to resolve the Gulf dispute and the announcement of restoration of diplomatic relations with Qatar at the end of the 41st Gulf Cooperation Council held today in Al Ula, Saudi Arabia, is a welcome development," the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"We hope that the Al Ula Declaration signed at the end of the summit will lead to ultimate resolution of the conflict."

It reiterated the importance Turkey attaches to the "unity and solidarity" within the GCC.

"With the restoration of mutual confidence among the Gulf countries, Turkey stands ready to further develop the institutional cooperation with the GCC of which Turkey is a strategic partner," the statement added.

The summit was attended by Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, marking a breakthrough in a crisis that began in June 2017 when Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt severed ties with Qatar.

They accused it of supporting terrorism and meddling in their internal affairs, allegations which Doha denied./aa