Islam Times - Iran ready to develop cordial relations with all neighbors, including Bahrain: Spokesman

Iran ready to develop cordial relations with all neighbors, including Bahrain: Spokesman

Islam Times - Tehran says it is ready to develop relations will all regional countries under its neighborliness policy, which led to the restoration of ties with Saudi Arabia last week.

In comments on Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kan’ani said the Islamic Republic’s neighbor-based policy sees “no exception” among regional countries, including Bahrain, which severed diplomatic ties with Iran in 2016.

“The promotion of relations with regional countries, including Bahrain, is among the [Iranian] administration’s policies,” Kan’ani told Iran’s Arabic-language television news network al-Alam TV.

Kan’ani said Iran’s neighborliness policy includes boosting relations with regional countries based on common interests.

“In view of a promising prospect, we can witness the realization of new conditions in relations with the regional countries, including Bahrain.”

“Bahrain is not an exception,” he reiterated. “Fortunately, we are witnessing good diplomatic moves in this regard as well. Parliamentary diplomacy has also been almost activated in this regard.”

On January 4, 2016, Bahrain followed Saudi Arabia’s decision by severing diplomatic relations with Iran, after Iranian protesters, enraged by the execution of prominent Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr Baqir al-Nimr by the Saudi government, stormed its diplomatic mission in Iran.

On Friday, after several days of intensive negotiations hosted by China, Iran and Saudi Arabia finally clinched a deal to restore diplomatic relations and re-open embassies and missions within two months.

In a joint statement, Iran and Saudi Arabia highlighted the need to respect each others’ national sovereignty and refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of one another.

Iran, Saudi Arabia and China also expressed their firm determination to make their utmost efforts to promote regional and international peace and security.

Bahraini Parliament Speaker Ahmed Al Musallam said on Sunday that Manama is open to improving bilateral relations with Iran.

As a start of mending relations, Al Musallam said, there have been talks of reopening air routes between the two countries.