(MENAFN – Arab News) Bahrain has asked opposition parties to nominate delegates to prepare for new reconciliation talks.

Khalil Al-Marzouq, a leader of the main opposition bloc Wefaq, told Reuters the Justice Ministry’s director general had contacted him and asked the opposition to nominate six representatives for the talks.

“He was also getting in touch with other groups,” Marzouq told Reuters.

The Justice Ministry said the first meetings would try to agree on an agenda for the talks, the state’s BNA news agency said.

Information Minister Samira Rajab had earlier welcomed the opposition’s response to the invitation, made on Monday by the Justice Ministry on behalf of King Hamad bin Issa Al-Khalifa, and said the government would ask all parties to name delegates to the talks, which she said could start soon.

“All the steps will start. I think the time frame will go fast, as long as all the parties are willing to go through positive, very serious dialogue,” she said.

She said the government would moderate the event, help set the agenda and implement any recommendations.

“As far as I understand, the government won’t be represented there. They will be the moderators, the regulator,” she said.