Bahrain and Qatar agreed on Tuesday to set up several joint ventures, paving the way for more cooperation between the two Gulf states.
The agreements were reached as delegates from both countries met in Doha for meetings of the joint higher commission, reported the Gulf Daily.
Among the projects to be established was a causeway linking the two countries, said the paper, adding that “citizens from both countries can now travel on personal ID cards.”
Qatar may also supply Bahrain with natural gas, said a statement, cited by the paper.
A joint technical committee has been set up, with a 10-month deadline to draw up blueprints for the Bahrain-Qatar causeway, according to the statement.
It was also agreed to create a committee to set up regulations to allow fishermen from either country to fish in each others territorial waters, said the statement.
A committee will also be created to tackle trade and economic issues, such as joint ventures and ownership of real estate, along with the encouragement of mutual investments.
Discussions also covered energy, industry, economics, labor, housing and other areas, with a view to reactivating mutual co-operation.
Bahrain and Qatar turned a new page in their relations after settling a decades-old territorial dispute through a ruling on March 16 by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that was welcomed by both states.
The ICJ endorsed Bahrain's sovereignty over the Hawar islands and Qitat Jarada island, but the Zubara strip stayed in the hands of the Qatari peninsula, which was also awarded the Fasht al-Dibel rocks and Jinan island.
The court ruled that Qatari shipping had rights of unlimited passage in waters separating the Hawar from other Bahraini islands - Albawaba.com
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