UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon on Thursday welcomed the call by Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa for a new round of national dialogue, as well as the positive response of opposition groups to the invitation in the Persian Gulf country.

"The secretary-general welcomes the initiative of King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa of Bahrain to convene a political dialogue and the affirmative response from six opposition societies and other societies," said a statement issued here by Ban's spokesperson.

"The secretary-general has consistently called for dialogue and hopes that the parties will follow through on their announcements and ensure that the dialogue is well-prepared, meaningful, fully inclusive, and addresses the legitimate aspirations of the Bahraini people," the statement said.

According to the statement, the UN chief expected that all communities in Bahrain will be represented fairly and freely in the proposed dialogue, calling the initiative "an important first step towards reforms that ensure justice and human rights for all Bahrainis."

Ban also urged all Bahrainis to contribute to creating a conducive atmosphere for a successful dialogue.

The Bahraini King has called on opposition parties to resume the stalled national dialogue three weeks ahead of the second anniversary of pro-democracy protests, said a statement by the government's Information Affairs Authority Tuesday.

Political groups in Bahrain welcomed the call by the leadership for a new round of national dialogue to end the political stalemate, with several leaders expected to have closed-door meetings in the coming days to discuss their demands for the second round of talks.

The main opposition group Al Wefaq National Islamic Society said Tuesday that it reiterated its "seriousness to engage in a genuine process of dialogue and political negotiations."

Bahrain was hit by a series of protests last year, some of which turned violent and led to serious bloodshed in the country. Endi

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