In line with the directives of His Majesty the King, His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, met with heads of all major political societies in the Kingdom of Bahrain to discuss the resumption of the National Dialogue, following the recent postponement of talks.
Accompanied by the Speakers of both houses of Bahrain’s Parliament, along with His Excellency the Minister of the Royal Court and His Excellency the Minister of Interior, meetings were held with the leaders and representatives of the National Unity Gathering and the Coalition of National Political Societies, Al Wefaq and a number of independent MPs.
His Royal Highness discussed means to overcome the obstacles to dialogue and highlighted the need for renewed urgency in the process. He stressed the importance of senior representation from all sides, emphasising the importance of an improved and open political environment that can clearly and positively address national priorities shared by all Bahrainis as well as accounting for the concerns held by different communities.
“Over a decade ago His Majesty the King recognised the importance of a process of inclusive political development,” His Royal Highness said.
“We remain firmly committed to stable political development, one that is representative of all sides and thereby acts definitively in the national interest.”
The meetings concluded with a commitment from all parties to accelerate dialogue and elevate discussions by including more senior representation from all parties. Importantly, a broad framework of core topics for the dialogue was also agreed, with talks expected to resume next week with a further series of official bilateral discussions with key parties.