Manama: Bahrainis will be exempted from security clearances when visiting Iraq during major Shiite gatherings, an Iraqi official has said.
"All Iraqi embassies have been told to drop the certificate when processing applications by Bahrainis to visit Iraq during the major religious festivities, such as in the months of Shaaban, Ramadan and Moharram," said General Yasin Al Yaseri, the General Director of Nationality and Residence in Iraq.
"We are looking at the possibility of dropping the condition for all Bahraini applications at all times," he was quoted as saying by Bahraini daily Al Ayam.
The decision to ease the entry procedures was made by Iraqi Prime Minister Noori Al Maliki.
"We greatly appreciate the move to facilitate the entry of Bahraini nationals into Iraq during religious gatherings, and we will work on making the security clearance exemption permanent," said Salah Al Maliki, Bahrain's Ambassador to Iraq.
"I have been in contact with Iraqi officials and we hope that we will succeed, especially that Bahrainis are highly appreciated by the Iraqi authorities," Al Maliki said.
The ambassador said that thousands of Bahrainis are expected to visit Iraq this month and that the Bahraini embassy in Baghdad and the consulate in Najaf were ready to facilitate them.
The numbers of Bahraini Shiites travelling to Iraq in order to take part in religious commemorations has increased since the fall of the former regime.
Despite dangers and high security restrictions, the high volume of people has prompted Gulf Air, the country's major airline, to launch in Iraq in 2009 and later expand their flights to Baghdad and Najaf.
