A new round of national dialogue is scheduled to start Sunday in Bahrain, aimed at resolving a two-year political crisis that began with mass protests led by the Gulf state's Shiite majority, DPA reported.
Six main opposition groups agreed in January to take part in the dialogue called by King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. They withdrew from a July 2011 process, complaining that they were under-represented and their demands were being ignored.
Isa Abdul Rahman, spokesman for the national dialogue, said they will organize between two to three sessions every week.
Sunday's session comes a few days ahead of the anniversary of the pro-democracy protests that started on February 14, 2011.
Dominated by the Shiite majority, the protests were crushed a month later by the Sunni monarchy's security forces.
Sporadic protests have continued since then and Bahrain, which is home to the US Navy's 5th Fleet, has drawn international criticism for the repression of demonstrations and harsh sentences handed down to opposition figures.
In Washington, US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland welcomed the start of the national dialogue in Bahrain.
"We're encouraged by the broad participation of Bahraini political groups in the dialogue," she said. "We believe that efforts to promote engagement and reconciliation among Bahrainis are necessary to long-term stability."