AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): Manama could be preparing to host another Israeli delegation in the coming months as part of a maritime security conference.
On Wednesday, Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa and US Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook announced plans to hold the conference in the Bahraini capital in autumn of this year.
Speaking from the Atlantic Council in Washington, Al Khalifa explained that the planned meeting would address ‘challenges posed by Iran’.
He also said that it would be a follow-up meeting to a February conference in Warsaw where officials from Persian Gulf monarchies, including Al Khalifa, met with Israeli leaders.
The UAE-based daily, The National, asked Hook if those same countries would be invited to Manama.
“This is the idea,” Hook replied. “But the invitations have not been sent out yet.”
Last month, Manama played host to a US-led conference where the Trump administration unveiled its widely unpopular Palestine plan.
The meeting was attended by an Israeli delegation, which included a group of journalist.
Bahrain’s top diplomat spoke to a number of those Israeli reporters and articulated Manama’s desire for “better relations” with Tel Aviv.
“We do want to see normalization,” he told Israel’s Channel 13.
On Wednesday, he defended his comments, claiming that “these are the foundations for real peace.”
“We are not doing this for public relations but for national interest,” he added.
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source : LuaLua TV
Thursday
18 July 2019
12:47:00 PM
962368
Manama could be preparing to host another Israeli delegation in the coming months as part of a maritime security conference.