AhlulBayt News Agency

source : Press TV
Sunday

20 May 2012

7:04:00 PM
316547

'World to give firm response to Saudi-Bahrain merger'

A senior Iranian lawmaker describes as “dangerous” a proposed plan for a possible merger of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, saying the world will show a firm reaction to the bid.

(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - “International conventions will not permit Saudi Arabia to add the independent country of Bahrain to its soil on the grounds of expansionism. This runs counter to the international regulations and countries will show a firm and serious reaction to it,” said Deputy Chairman of the Majlis (parliament) Committee on National Security and Foreign Policy Hossein Ebrahimi on Sunday.

In case of such an event, large countries would claim to dominate small countries in every region. This is why Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates have expressed their opposition to the plan, he added.

The Iranian legislator emphasized that the merger of Bahrain with Saudi Arabia would endanger the global security.

He stated that the merger of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain would also undermine security in the Persian Gulf.

“When geographical borders are changed, small countries in the region will do everything to defend their national integrity. This will pave the way for world powers to infiltrate into the Persian Gulf,” Ebrahimi said.

He noted that the Iranian nation supports the oppressed and protests against a plan by Al Khalifa and Al Saud who seek to “destroy the independence of a nation through military power.”

Members of the [Persian] Gulf Cooperation Council ([P]GCC), which includes Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Oman, met in the Saudi capital of Riyadh on May 14 to discuss closer union among the six countries.

They failed to make any concrete decision on forming a confederation that would initially merge Saudi Arabia with Bahrain but agreed to continue further discussions over the plan, which was put forward by Saudi Arabia.

Although the exact nature of such union among the six Arab countries is unclear, reports say the Saudi unity proposal calls for economic, political and military coordination and a new decision-making body based in Riyadh to replace the bloc’s current secretariat.

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