Bahrain's Foreign Ministry has declared US Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labour Tomasz P Malinowski persona non grata and asked him to leave the country immediately.

The ministry said that he flagrantly intervened in Bahrain's internal affairs and held meetings with a particular group to the detriment of other interlocutors, thus discriminating between people, contravening diplomatic norms and flouting normal inter-state relations, reported the Gulf Daily News, our sister publication.

The ministry said the decision is in line with recommendations endorsed by the National Assembly in its extraordinary session in July 2013.

It reiterated Bahrain's keenness on solid and firm relations with the US, stressing the need to avert all that mars steadily growing ties.

According to Akhbar Al Khaleej, Malinowski met Al Wefaq National Islamic Society secretary-general Shaikh Ali Salman and Khalil Al Marzooq at the US embassy. He then met Shaikh Ali Salman and Abduljalil Khalil at the Al Wefaq Ramadan majlis.

Separately, Malinowski also met Interior Minister Lieutenant General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa.-TradeArabia News Service