Bahrain, Qatar border dispute may be closer to resolution

Manama stated on Sunday that the International Court of Justice has given the government of Qatar a grace period until May 30 in order to provide documents that back its claims in its border dispute with Bahrain.

A source at the Bahraini Foreign Ministry said the court decided on the grace period on last Wednesday in a session after it learned about Doha's decision in September 1998 to withdraw some 82 disputed documents backing its claims.

The documents are considered as forged by Manama.

Qatar which wants sovereignty over Hawar and Fisshit al-Dubl islands, unilaterally raised the case to the International Court of Justice in 1991. Experts said the areas under dispute between the two countries contain oil and gas fields.