Bahrain, Iran Sea Link Examined

A team of businessmen and shipping officials from Bahrain plans to visit Iran to examine the possibility of launching a sea link between the two states, Bahrain's commerce minister said. Local newspapers quoted Ali Saleh al-Saleh as saying the team would meet officials from the public and private sectors in Tehran to discuss linking Bahrain's Salman Port and Iran's southern port of Bushehr. The two countries had agreed to discuss the sea link during a visit to Manama by Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi in March. Saleh said the sea link would open new markets to Bahrain's exports and would revive the re-export movement from Manama to Tehran. He said contacts were underway to prepare for the visit.