Qatar ambassador returns to Egypt after rift over Libya

CAIRO — Qatar returned its ambassador to Cairo on Tuesday, almost a month after recalling him in response to an Egyptian official accusing the tiny Gulf nation of supporting terrorism.

The ambassador was summoned home for consultation after Egypt carried out air strikes in Libya in February in response to the beheading of 21 captive Egyptian Christians by Daesh terror group.

Qatar protested Egypt's "unilateral" air strikes, while Egypt's delegate to the Arab League accused Doha of supporting terrorism.

Now, Egypt and Qatar both back the Saudi-led air strikes against Shiite rebels in Yemen, which began last week.

The ambassador resumed his work Tuesday, after returning to Egypt with the emir of Qatar to attend an Arab League summit last weekend that endorsed the Saudi-led strikes.

Cairo and Doha have been at odds since the Egyptian military overthrew Islamist President Mohamed Morsi following mass protests against him. Qatar was a strong backer of Morsi and protested his ouster.

The military-backed government that succeeded Morsi withdrew Egypt's envoy from Doha in January 2014, accusing Qatar of meddling, and of using the Qatar-based Al Jazeera satellite TV network to stir chaos. Al Jazeera has denied the allegations.

On Tuesday, the Egyptian foreign ministry said any decision to return its ambassador to Qatar will be made "according to national interest consideration”, referring to earlier comments made by the minister.

Saudi Arabia has been attempting to reconcile Egypt and Qatar.