France welcomes Bahraini intention to lift emergency

The French government on Tuesday welcomed an announcement by the Kingdom of Bahrain that it will lift a state of emergency on June 1, saying this was "a positive signal and a constructive initiative". The Foreign Ministry said in a statement that this announcement "opens the way for a resumption of dialogue between the involved parties". "France is eager that the current difficulties are overcome peacefully, by respecting the institutions of the country and in the interest of all Bahrainis," the statement added. French Foreign Ministry spokesman Bernard Valero said that the Bahraini commitment would be "followed attentively" by France. On April 4, President Nicolas Sarkozy and King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa discussed the ongoing efforts to create a national dialogue in Bahrain and Sarkozy praised the Bahraini King's commitments in this area.