Bahraini justice minister: National consensus dialogue on track

Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ali Al-Khalifa today defended Bahrain's National Consensus. He described attempts to import any dialogue format from other countries as being "wrong and totally unacceptable". "The situation in the Kingdom of Bahrain is totally different", he said in a press conference convened at the conclusion of the ninth National Consensus Dialogue session. He urged all participants taking part in the National Consensus Dialogue to take Bahrain's reality into account and focus on the internal situation instead of "looking abroad". He commended Bahrain's expertise and established experience in holding national dialogue sessions. The minister described the ninth National Consensus Dialogue session, which was convened today, as being positive, expressing the hope that the same atmosphere would reign in coming sessions. "The National Consensus Dialogue is on the right track", the minister said, adding much depends on the participants' will to push the agenda forward. The participants sitting at the table of the National Dialogue agreed to consider any outcome as being final, including draft constitutional, legal and procedural amendments.