Bahrain and Qatar in historic make-up

By Kesava Menon

BAHRAIN, JAN. 1. An effort at a rapprochement launched this week by Bahrain and Qatar could not only bring an end to a long- standing squabble between them but also chart the course for similar differences between other countries in the Arabian peninsula. If Bahrain and Qatar are able to bilaterally resolve their differences as they now propose to do, it would diminish the influence of extraneous agencies to a degree.

Qatar's Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al Thani flew into Bahrain last week for talks with Bahrain's Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Isa al Khalifa. Such a visit was in itself unusual since the two emirates have had a frosty, and sometimes antagonistic, relationship. Even more surprisingly, the two Amirs had by the next morning drawn up agreements on a number of issues. The main issue in dispute between them has not been resolved but the summit endorsed a serious effort to solve it bilaterally.

The Crown Princes of Qatar and Bahrain are to set up a joint higher committee to discuss and try to resolve the territorial dispute between the two emirates. Qatar lays claim to the Hawar Islands, a small archipelago situated between the two, and Bahrain has claim to a slice of territory on the Qatar peninsula. There have been calls for a bilateral resolution of these disputes but the matter is now pending before the International Court of Justice.

As per the agreement forged by the two countries, the joint higher committee will try to reach an amicable settlement and if it does so before the ICJ comes to a verdict, then the two nations will jointly withdraw the case.

The two countries have also decided to establish full diplomatic relations, to build a causeway between them, to allow the nationals of each country to visit the other without visas and to allow Qatar Airlines to operate from Bahrain. It is not as yet certain where the causeway will be built but it should be a most interesting project and a very interesting traffic route once it is built. Bahrain has been, of late, looking into its tourism potential with real seriousness and if it is possible to put two and two together the over-sea bridge will perhaps touch Hawar Islands as well.

Both the Amirs, who are relatively younger men compared with the leaders in the other countries of the peninsula, have injected a lot of dynamism into their countries' policies since they took over.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : International
Previous : Britons take to the streets
Next     : Wahid warns Irian Jaya against rebellion