Mr. Ban Ki-Moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations, expressed the hope that countries of the region will take concrete steps to de-escalate current tensions, in a phone call he held with the Bahraini Foreign Minister today.

An official readout statement said, “He encouraged the Foreign Minister and the Government to take further measures to foster peaceful political dialogue amongst all Bahrainis and to fully comply with the Kingdom’s international human rights obligations, including by upholding freedom of expression, assembly and other fundamental freedoms. Such measures will not only promote peace, security, reconciliation and prosperity in Bahrain, but will also contribute to defusing tensions in the region”.

The SG’s encouragement for political dialogue fosters the Bahraini opposition’s repeated calls for a real and fruitful dialogue to exit the crises and reach an inclusive political resolution.

His statement also comes as Bahrain crosses one year on the ban of peaceful protest and assembly. Requests for permission to organize rallies by the opposition over the past year, have all been rejected.