The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague will rule on March 16 on a territorial dispute between Bahrain and Qatar, said reports.
"The ICJ has informed the representatives of Qatar and Bahrain at the court that it will hand down its verdict in the territorial conflict between the states of Qatar and Bahrain on Friday, March 16, 2001," the Gulf Daily reported.
At the end of last June, the court wound up a five-week public hearing into the dispute, which almost led to war in 1986, said AFP.
The case focuses on Doha's claims to the Bahraini-held Hawar Islands and Fasht al-Dibel rocks, potentially rich in oil and gas deposits, as well as Manama's claim to the Zubara strip on Qatar's west coast.
Bahrain has warned it will not cede an inch of its land, but Qatar's Emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, played down conflict on his return from a trip to Manama on March 2nd - Albawaba.com
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
