Emir of Qatar's visit to Bahrain did not end border disputes

The crisis continued on Wednesday between Bahrain and Qatar. The two sides failed in reaching an agreement to resume works of the joint committee in charge of settling border disputes between them, amicably.

The joint statement released by the visit of the ruler of Qatar Sheikh Hamad Bin Khaleifa al-Thani to Manama said " the two sides agreed that after the International Court for Justice completes discussion on the already debated border dispute before the court and the release of its final decision, then the joint higher committee resumes its works."

Sheikh Hamad arrived on Wednesday in Bahrain to defuse the crisis provoked by the decision taken by Manama last Friday to suspend works of the joint higher committee which was composed in December.

The ruler of Bahrain met with Sheikh Hamad Bin Issa al-Khaleifa and invited him to visit Doha in a date to be set later. He said " I came to my second country Bahrain hoping to be able to eliminate any misunderstanding and to complete together what we had started during our exchanged visits and during my meeting with you in the holy month of Ramadan" In February the two sides decided following the meeting of the joint higher committee chaired by the two states crown princes, to restore natural relations and since them the two states exchanged ambassadors and established a direct airlines.

This rapprochement took place after the two states agreed in December 1999 on the visit of the Emir of Qatar to Bahrain to submit the border issue to the international court for justice.

However, the International court in the Hague, to which Qatar had unilaterally submitted the case in 1991, will study this issue on may 29.

Doha is calling for having back Hawar and Fashit al-Dubble islands in the Arab Gulf which is under the authority of Bahrain while Manama calls for restoring back al-Zabarra area situated on the Qatari coast.