Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javid Zarif on Thursday described growing unrest in Bahrain as a "very unfortunate situation".

Speaking alongside Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders on a visit to The Hague, Zarif said avenues of peaceful protest were closed to the people of Bahrain, adding that Tehran believes the issue requires "great attention" from the international community.

Meanwhile in Bahrain, hundreds of protesters kept up their rally on Thursday outside the home of a Shiite cleric, a day after they chanted a promise to "give our soul and blood as a sacrifice" to protect him following the government's move that revoked his citizenship this week.

The demonstration in support of Sheikh Isa Qassim shows the unrest gripping the tiny island of Bahrain, sparked by an intense government crackdown on opposition groups and dissent, on a level unseen since its 2011 Arab Spring protest.

Separately, Zarif said it was up to the people of Britain whether to stay in or leave the European Union, adding that issues should be resolved by "people themselves rather than by outsiders".

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javid Zarif on Thursday described growing unrest in Bahrain as a "very unfortunate situation".

Speaking alongside Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders on a visit to The Hague, Zarif said avenues of peaceful protest were closed to the people of Bahrain, adding that Tehran believes the issue requires "great attention" from the international community.

Meanwhile in Bahrain, hundreds of protesters kept up their rally on Thursday outside the home of a Shiite cleric, a day after they chanted a promise to "give our soul and blood as a sacrifice" to protect him following the government's move that revoked his citizenship this week.

The demonstration in support of Sheikh Isa Qassim shows the unrest gripping the tiny island of Bahrain, sparked by an intense government crackdown on opposition groups and dissent, on a level unseen since its 2011 Arab Spring protest.

Separately, Zarif said it was up to the people of Britain whether to stay in or leave the European Union, adding that issues should be resolved by "people themselves rather than by outsiders".

The Hague - 23 June 2016

1. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif arriving for meeting

2. Cameramen

3. Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders shaking hands with Zarif

4. Close of Zarif at meeting

5. Close of Koenders

6. Cameramen

7. Various of Koenders and Zarif taking their seats, signing memorandum of understanding, exchanging documents

8. Journalists

9. SOUNDBITE (English) Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iranian Foreign Minister:

"I think it (whether to stay in or leave the European Union) is up to the people of Britain. I think issues should be resolved by people themselves rather than by outsiders. And I hope that we practice what we preach. On Bahrain, it's a very unfortunate situation. It seems that because of external pressure, and it has been external pressure since the time Saudi Arabia invaded Bahrain, avenues of peaceful protest and avenues of peaceful dissent are being closed to the people of Bahrain, and we believe that's a very dangerous situation and it requires great attention from the international community."

10. Cutaway

11. SOUNDBITE (English) Bert Koenders, Dutch Foreign Minister:

"Let me underline the importance that we attached to the (Iranian) nuclear agreement. I think this has been an important milestone for international diplomacy and, of course, as we have discussed the importance is in the implementation of all sides, and there we agree. And on many of the other issues of cooperation, like in the economic part, we have made progress and, of course, we have discussed also issues that are sometimes more sensitive - the minister (gestures towards Zarif) has spoken about it in terms of human rights. What we want to continue is a serious dialogue and I appreciate that."

12. Journalists

13. Koenders and Zarif leaving news conference

The Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte and the Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar have met in The Hague where they discussed developments around Brexit.

Varadkar said the two are very much "waiting for developments in London" as talks between the Conservative and the Labour Party continue.

Rutte said that he and Varadkar would do "everything in their power" to ensure a "good outcome."

EU leaders were due to meet on Thursday for a summit in Sibiu aimed at discussing the EU's agenda for the next five years.

Rutte added that the European elections were "unavoidable" for Britain.

The Hague - 8 May 2019

1. Wide of Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar and Prime Minister of the Netherlands Mark Rutte arriving at press conference

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Mark Rutte, Prime Minister of the Netherlands

"Here the ball is clearly in the UK's court right now. It's up to them to make clear what they want. I've read of course all the media reports, all the discussions between Conservatives and Labour. I hope very much that it lead to a very positive outcome, concluding a good deal and avoiding a no-deal Brexit is in everyone's interests. Especially for countries like the Netherlands, Ireland, also Belgium, Denmark, countries which have close trading and political ties with the United Kingdom. We, the two of us, will do everything we can, which is in our power to ensure a good outcome."   

++BLACK FRAMES++

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Leo Varadkar, Irish Prime Minister:

"We're very much awaiting developments in London to see if there's an outcome of the talks that are happening between the Labour Party and the Conservative Party. And we very much hope that they'll be able to come to an agreement which will allow the withdrawal agreement to be ratified including the backstop thus allowing us to talk about the future relationship that's going to exist between the UK and the EU."

++BLACK FRAMES++

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Mark Rutte, Prime Minister of the Netherlands

"This eventful meeting tomorrow, in that sense in that it is the first meeting taking place to discuss a broad range of agenda, I believe should be as focused as possible for the next five years. The UK, elections are unavoidable I believe if they have not left the European Union by the end of May."

++BLACK FRAMES++

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Leo Varadkar, Irish Prime Minister:

"What we all want to avoid, even those who are in favour of Brexit, is the re-emergence of a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland. And it's not just about economics or trade, it's very much about peace and rights in Northern Ireland. And we've seen what happens when that breaks down only in the last couple of weeks with the sad death of Lyra McKee in Derry. There are lots of ways to resolve that, the United Kingdom can remain the European Union but don't want to. Or the United Kingdom can have a very close relationship between the UK and the EU which some people describe as the Norway plus model - staying in the Customs Union and the single market or something very close to that. Or we can have a special arrangement for Northern Ireland and that's what the backstop is. So there really are three ways to avoid a hard border, we just need to, we can accept any of those three, but we just need the United Kingdom to accept one of them."

6. Varadkar and Rutte leaving

The German and Dutch leaders expressed cautious optimism on Wednesday that Britain and the European Union could soon reach a satisfactory agreement shortly with regard to Britain's exit from the bloc.

Britain is leaving the EU on March 29 and the possibility of there being no deal on future relations - particularly trade - is worrying businesses and politicians.

The EU's Brexit negotiator said earlier on Wednesday that an agreement on Britain's exit "is within reach" if negotiations make progress before a summit next week.

Michel Barnier said that up to 85 percent of the work on a deal is done, but that the issue remains of how to ensure a transparent border on the island of Ireland.

He offered suggestions to make sure border checks are be kept to a minimum.

Yet he also warned that some British proposals for future trade, as they stood, would give the UK too much of a competitive trade advantage.

With goodwill from both sides, he said that "agreement is within reach" as British Prime Minister Theresa May and her 27 counterparts in the EU get ready to meet in Brussels on October 17.

Speaking in The Hague, Netherlands, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was pleased to see the intensive talks in Brussels, but also sounded a note of caution.

"I hope that there will be progress, obviously there is progress, but sometimes the trick is in the details, as they say," said Merkel, who was in The Hague for talks with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.

"Everything is only solved when it is really solved."

Rutte sounded a similar note, saying: "We're not there yet but I think that next week we can be very cautiously optimistic that we can make progress. I say carefully because a great deal depends on talks that will happen in coming days and over the weekend."

The Hague - 10 October 2018

1. German Chancellor Angela Merkel shaking hands with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte

2. Merkel and Rutte entering news conference

3. Photographer

4. SOUNDBITE (Dutch) Mark Rutte, Dutch Prime Minister:

"They are working very hard on two things - to solve as many of the other issues, if I can put it that way, and at the same time looking to see if we can reach common positions on the relationship of England to the union and in particular in a way that solves the problem of the Ireland-Northern Ireland border. We're not there yet but I think that next week we can be very cautiously optimistic that we can make progress. I say carefully because a great deal depends on talks that will happen in coming days and over the weekend."

5. Photographer

6. SOUNDBITE (German) Angela Merkel, German Chancellor:

"And so far we have also managed, as the 27 Member States, to walk this road very unitedly. And that is why I hope that there will be progress, obviously there is progress, but sometimes the trick is in the details, as they say. So everything is only solved when it is really solved. Now the priority is the withdrawal contract. And if we made good progress next week that would be a good signal."

7. Merkel and Rutte exiting news conference

The Dutch foreign minister called on Thursday for more haste in Brexit negotiations between Britain and the European Union.

Bart Koenders was speaking shortly after the European Union's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said that talks on Britain's departure are weeks or months away from making sufficient progress, despite hailing a positive "new dynamic" in the negotiations.

Koenders said that although there have been some "positive developments" - referring to UK Prime Minister Theresa May's speech in Florence last week, that he would want negotiations to "go to the next stage, in terms of negotiations, as soon as possible."

He went on to describe the UK as having a great responsibility "to get its house in order internally as soon as possible."

The Hague - 28 September 2017

1. Wide of Dutch foreign minister Bert Koenders entering for news conference

2. SOUNDBITE (Dutch) Bert Koenders, Dutch foreign minister:

"Madam May is obviously in an awkward domestic political position at the moment, with little space to manoeuvre. We have also seen some dissonance in the UK cabinet; still, you can 'have your cake and eat it'. The clock is ticking. Big Ben may be still for renovation, but in Europe time ticks on."

3. Cameraman

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Bert Koenders, Dutch foreign minister:

"I think there are some positive developments. We were referring to the speech of the prime minister. I would say let's speed things up, let's go to the next stage, in terms of negotiations, as soon as possible. I don't want to speculate right now, is this possible in October or in December. Before you know it we speculate, and we are a year further. The problem is that we don't have much time, we are behind schedule, our citizens, our companies, our people in the UK as well in the rest of Europe, want to know more. So, my call is clearly to pick up speed and to see how far we can get. But I would hope that we do this quicker rather than with a lot of delays and discussions, and already thinking maybe we can do it at another moment."

5. Close of person using tablet

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Bert Koenders, Dutch foreign minister:

"Look I am not getting into, from, it is only one party (that is delaying talks). We both want to discuss constructively. So it is both the EU and the UK that have to speed up negotiations. Always both ways. I mentioned that I have some doubts as to the concreteness, and the level of concreteness, where we are now at this moment on the side of the United Kingdom. There are gaps there, we cannot avoid by saying that. So yes there is a great responsibility for the UK to get its house in order internally as soon as possible."

7. Cameraperson

8. Wide of news conference