Abdel Fattah al-Sisi
Abdel Fattah al-SisiReuters

Egypt said Saturday it aims to end differences with Qatar, as President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met with an envoy from the Gulf emirate, reports AFP.

Ties between Cairo and Doha deteriorated after Sisi, who was then the army chief, ousted Mohammed Morsi, whose Muslim Brotherhood movement is backed by Qatar.

Since Morsi's ouster in July last year, a crackdown overseen by Sisi against the Brotherhood has left hundreds dead.

Qatar repeatedly denounced Sisi's ouster of Morsi and it still provides shelter for some Brotherhood leaders who fled Egypt.

The crackdown led to a months-long diplomatic spat pitting Qatar against Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain, which all supported the ouster of Morsi.

In an unprecedented development, the three nations had recalled their ambassadors from Doha back in March, in protest against Qatar's support for the Islamist movement, then returned their diplomatic staff to Qatar in November.

Earlier this month, at a reconciliation summit hosted by Riyadh, Qatar joined its Gulf neighbors in supporting Egypt under Sisi.

"Egypt looks forward to a new era that ends past disagreements," Sisi's office said after he met with Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdel Rahman Al-Thani, a special envoy of Qatar's emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.