Bahrain and Iran have agreed to start talks aimed at resuming political relations.
This was discussed during a meeting between Bahrain's Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al Zayani and Iran's acting Foreign Minister Ali Kani in Tehran, news agency BNA reported.
A joint statement said the meeting “came within the framework of the fraternal historical relations between the kingdom of Bahrain and the Islamic republic of Iran and the bonds of religion, neighbourliness, joint history and common interests that connect them”.
Bahrain cut ties with Iran in 2016 after attacks on Saudi Arabia’s embassy in Tehran and consulate in Mashhad, following the execution of Shiite cleric Nimr Al Nimr by Riyadh.
Bahrain’s relationship with Iran has been marked by years of tension, with Manama in the past accusing Tehran of fomenting unrest in the kingdom.
Bahrain’s resumption of political ties comes after Saudi Arabia and Iran announced last March that they had restored ties.
Manama said it welcomed the rapprochement, which was brokered by China last year.
Earlier in June, Bahrain sent a request via Russia to re-establish diplomatic relations with Iran, Iranian news outlets reported.
The following day, Ahmed Al Musallam, chairman of Bahrain's Council of Representatives, received his Iranian counterpart Mojtaba Rezakha in Manama for an Inter-Parliamentary Union meeting.
In May, an Iranian delegation led by Ali Alizadeh, a member of the parliament’s national security and foreign policy committee, visited Bahrain as part of the Asian Parliamentary Assembly meetings.
Bahrain’s King Hamad said last month that there was no reason to delay the resumption of diplomatic relations between the Manama and Tehran.
“We had problems with Iran, but now there are no problems at all,” he said during a meeting in Moscow with Russian President Vladimir Putin, a close ally of Iran.
“There is no reason to postpone the normalisation of relations with Iran. We are trying to have normal diplomatic, commercial and cultural relations between us and them.”
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Draw:
Group A: Egypt, DR Congo, Uganda, Zimbabwe
Group B: Nigeria, Guinea, Madagascar, Burundi
Group C: Senegal, Algeria, Kenya, Tanzania
Group D: Morocco, Ivory Coast, South Africa, Namibia
Group E: Tunisia, Mali, Mauritania, Angola
Group F: Cameroon, Ghana, Benin, Guinea-Bissau
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• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
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