Qatar - Bahrain continue dispute over islands

Qatar announced that Bahrain has no legal right to link its territories with Hawar islands via a marine route, adding that the new Bahraini measure does not serve relations between the two states.

The Qatar News Agency reported that Qatar's foreign minister, Sheikh Hamad Bin Jasim al-Thani, said during his current visit to Britain that the recent Bahraini statements do not serve the efforts to maintain a solution or at least to normalize relations between Bahrain and Qatar.

Qatar's foreign minister added that Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan al-Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates is exerting efforts to settle the crisis, adding that the dispute is now before the International Court of Justice.

Earlier, Bahrain announced its intention to set up a sea route of 22.5 km between Bahrain's main island with Hawar Island, over which the two countries have disputes.