UAE summons Swiss ambassador on Bahrain human rights statement

Dubai, March 20 (IANS/WAM) The United Arab Emirates Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abu Dhabi summoned on Sunday the Swiss Ambassador "to discuss" the report of the Swiss representative in the human rights council in the UN, about the human rights situation in the Gulf state of Bahrain.

Abdul Rahim Al-Awadhi, UAE Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation for Legal Affairs, has summoned Maya Tissafi, Ambassador of Switzerland to the UAE, in attendance of Sheikh Mohammed bin Maktoum Al-Maktoum, Director of the European Affairs Department at the Ministry.

Al-Awadhi expressed to the Swiss ambassador UAE's "denunciation" over the Swiss statement from last Tuesday against Bahrain at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).

He added that "it was better if such issues were resolved through established bilateral channels between Bahrain and Switzerland".

The statement was also perceived as not representative of the truth, as Bahrain has made numerous steps to improve its human rights record. The UAE and the Kingdom of Bahrain are members of the six countries unions Gulf cooperation council (GCC) and close political allies.

Al-Awadhi informed Ambassador Tissafi that the security and stability of Bahrain is integral to security and stability of the UAE, "and such statements give a pretext for committing destructive and terrorist acts", the UAE Assistant Minister said.

He added that the UAE is looking forward to Switzerland's reviewing of their position on this issue.

On Saturday, the GCC Secretary-General Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia strongly condemned the statement which was made last Tuesday by the Swiss representative before the UNHRC, slamming the "accusations and distortions" regarding the situation of human rights in Bahrain.

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