Iran and Bahrain signed an economic cooperation deal overnight at the end of the visit to Tehran of Bahraini Trade Minister Ali Saleh Abdullah Al-Saleh, state radio said Friday, March 2.
The official IRNA agency had said Thursday that the trade talks between the two sides ended with a "provisional" refusal of the Bahraini minister to sign a deal.
The accord covers banking, insurance, medicine, fishing, customs facilities and bilateral and joint investments.
Saleh also signed an accord on information and technology exchanges in the petrochemical sector with Industries and Mines Minister Eshaq Jahangiri.
He arrived in Tehran on Monday with a large economic delegation and met Tuesday with Iranian President Mohammad Khatami, and spoke of developing relations between the two countries.
Khatami was quoted by IRNA at the time as saying that "the development of friendly relations between Iran and Bahrain is an important support for the security of their two countries and their political relations."
"Nothing can be more important and have more influence on the stability and security of the region than the collaboration and understanding of the countries in the region," he added.
Bahrain normalized relations with Shiite-dominated Iran from 1996 after accusing Tehran of being behind troubles in the country, where a Sunni ruling family governs a mainly Shiite population. — (AFP, Tehran)
© Agence France Presse 2001
© 2001 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
