Ruler of Bahrain to accept invitation to visit Iran

The Iranian mass media on Wednesday said that the ruler of Bahrain Sheikh Hamad Bin Issa al-Khaleifa has welcomed the fulfil an invitation for visiting Iran.

Iranian dailies stressed that Sheikh Hamad has expressed his hope to fulfil shortly the invitation extended to him by the Iranian President Muhammad Khatami and was conveyed by the Iranian deputy foreign Muhammad al-Sader who concluded a visit to Manama on Tuesday. Meantime, the Iranian official news agency quoted the ruler of Bahrain as saying that co-operation between Iran and Bahrain is useful to the " two countries and to the countries of the region."

Tehran's papers quoted al-Sader as saying that efforts for strengthening co-operation with Manama fall in the course of Khatami's program to foster bilateral and regional relations.