Manama: Bahrain has welcomed "the principles included in the speech delivered by US President Barack Obama", saying that they "converged with its democratic orientations."
"The government stresses that the national dialogue has been open since the launch of the reforms and the National Action Charter and that it will remain so," the cabinet said in a statement issued on Thursday evening. "We hope that all parties participate in order to reach a national consensus that will be reflected in the existing constitutional institutions."
In his speech, Obama said that Bahrain's government "must create the conditions for dialogue, and the opposition must participate to forge a just future for all Bahrainis."
In the statement carried by Bahrain News Agency (BNA), the government said that reforms would continue in all areas and "that the cabinet under the leadership of HRH Prince Khalifa Bin Salman Al Khalifa is reinforcing the strong drive towards more democracy, reforms, modernization and development."
"Bahrain has been responding to malicious allegations and misleading information by presenting well-documented facts that denote the appropriateness of the measures it is taking in accordance with the law, the constitution and international standards in protecting human rights," the cabinet said.
Obama, in his speech, said that Bahrain was "a longstanding partner."
"We are committed to its security. We recognize that Iran has tried to take advantage of the turmoil there, and that the Bahraini government has a legitimate interest in the rule of law," he said.
