Bahrain warns of ‘counter measures’ against Doha

Bahraini authorities have threatened to take “counter measures” against Qatar should it continue to naturalize Bahrains, Al Sharq al-Awsat newspaper reported on Thursday.

Sheikh Rashid bin Abdullah al-Khalifa, Bahrain’s interior minister, warned that his country would adopt these measures if Qatar does not stop efforts to lure Bahraini nationals towards abandoning their citizenship, an act he called “unfriendly” and offensive.

“Such conduct goes against the spirit of brotherhood,” Sheikh al-Khalifa is quoted as saying by the Arabic daily, adding that it also violated the cooperation “we looked forward to” between Gulf Cooperation Council states.

If Qatar continues to promote the abandonment of Bahraini nationality, Sheikh al-Khalifa warned that officials in Bahrain will have to resort to measures “they do not look forward to.”

These remarks come after the Bahraini Interior Ministry warned in August that Qatar naturalizing Bahraini citizens threatened Manama’s national interest.

Sheikh Rashid bin Khalifa al-Khalifa, Interior Ministry undersecretary for nationality, passports and residence affairs, “expressed his confidence that Qatar would reconsider this stance, saying that the naturalization of Bahrainis would affect Bahrain’s national security and vital interests negatively,” the Bahrain News Agency had reported.

Bahrain had recalled its ambassador to Doha earlier this year in March, joining Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in a move that was taken to “to protect their security and stability.”