Qatar, Bahrain for amicable solution to border conflict
Qatar and Bahrain on Monday decided to find a solution to their border disputes and strengthen economic, financial and commerce cooperation.
In the joint statement released at the conclusion of the meeting held in Manama the two countries' higher joint committees dealt with the standing border disputes currently being debated before the International Court of Justice with the objective of reaching a "fraternal" solution to the disputes.
The statement said that the first meeting of the joint higher committee, presided over by Bahraini Salman Bin Hamad al-Khaleifa and his Qatari counterpart, Crown Prince Jasem Bin Hamad al-Thani, was held in an atmosphere of amity and cooperation.
Bahrain and Qatar decided to form a committee in charge of settling the border disputes amicably without withdrawing the file of the dispute from the International Court of Justice in the Hague during a visit to Manama held by the ruler of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad Bin Khaleifa al-Thani, at the end of December 1999.
Earlier in the day, Bahrain and Qatar concluded the meetings of the first session of the joint higher committee for cooperation between the two countries. The two sides agreed to found a joint committee to discuss steps connected to establishing a bridge between the two countries.
The joint statement said that the two countries agreed to from a committee on economic, trade and financial cooperation to discuss and study means conducive to highest levels of coordination and cooperation between the two countries in the agreed-upon areas, especially in the area of establishing joint economic projects.
The two sides agreed to permit the citizens of the two states to move into each of the others' countries using their identity cards, in implementation of the desire of the two countries to facilitate the movement of citizens from each country into the other.
They agreed to convene meetings among sides concerned in the two states' ministries of the interior to draw the appropriate mechanism to put into prompt implementation the agreed-upon issues of bilateral cooperation.