Free trade agreement with US prompts Bahrain to end boycott of Israeli goods
Axcess News
September 24, 2005
Free Trade Agreement with US Prompts Bahrain to End Boycott of Israeli Goods
By Staff
(AXcess News) Manama, Bahrain - Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed ibn Mubarak Al-Khalifa confirmed Friday that Bahrain officially has ended its boycott of Israeli goods in favor of the United States’ Free Trade Agreement.
The decision was taken after the signing of the Free Trade Agreement with the United States. The US Congress is expected to ratify the agreement next month.
Mubarak Al-Khalifa, Bahraini Foreign Minister"Diplomatic relations with Israel depend on the general consensus of the Arab League, and Bahrain does not intend to divert from agreed principles," the minister said.
Mohammed Al-Aradi, head of the Society for Resisting Normalization with the Zionist Enemy in Bahrain, expressed outrage at the government decision and said bilateral agreements could not override Arab League decision, according to a report by Arab News.
Saudi Arabia recently signed a bilateral trade agreement with the United States as part of its efforts to join the WTO. In a statement following the accord, Commerce and Industry Minister Hashem Yamani said the Kingdom would deal with all WTO members in accordance with WTO agreements.
