"We see the presentation of these proposals as a positive development to enhance peace in the region and to ensure stability and security," Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmed al-Khalifa told participants at Manama Dialogue security conference in Bahrain.
He was referring to proposals made on Monday by the Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad attending the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (PGCC) summit
MANAMA, Bahrain: TEHRAN, Dec. 8 (MNA) -- Bahrain welcomed on Friday a proposal by Iran to step up cooperation with Persian Gulf Arab littoral states and stressed Tehran's right to develop a peaceful nuclear program.
We see the presentation of these proposals as a positive development to enhance peace in the region and to ensure stability and security," Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmed al-Khalifa told participants at Manama Dialogue security conference in Bahrain.
He was referring to proposals made on Monday by the Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad attending the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (PGCC) summit.
Ahmadinejad offered a regional security pact and a 12-point cooperation plan, including on free trade and joint investments in oil and gas.
He was the first Iranian leader to attend a PGCC summit.
"No country in the region conducts its relations with the world in a confrontational way," Sheikh Khaled said during the opening speech of the forum.
He then stressed Iran's right to use nuclear energy for civilian purposes.
"While reiterating Iran's full sovereign right to use nuclear power for peaceful purposes, it is indispensable for Iran to actively and fully cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), adhering to the principles of openness and transparency," AFP quoted the Bahraini foreign minister as saying.
He also called for Iran's relations with the region and the outside world to "become a source of stability rather than conflict."
The conference, organized by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies, welcomed delegates from Persian Gulf nations, the United States, China, Russia, France, Britain, Australia and other countries.
Manuchehr Mottaki, Iran's foreign minister, was scheduled to attend the meeting in Bahrain, but pulled out at the last minute.
