Manama, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani, has expressed gratitude and appreciation to His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, for their for the continuous support to the Foreign Affairs Ministry.
The minister made the statements while meeting here today with the editorial directors of the local newspapers and the Bahrain News Agency.
The Minister noted that the directives of HM the King, and the government, led by HRH the Crown Prince and the Prime Minister, emphasise the need to strengthen joint Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) action for all that is in the interest of the GCC countries, and the active role the GCC undertakes to maintain security and stability of the region.
He affirmed HM the King’s commitment to supporting the GCC, pointing to the aspiration of the GCC countries to achieve the decision of the Supreme Council to achieve GCC economic unity by 2025.
Dr. Al-Zayani indicated that the Foreign Ministry seeks to engage in diplomatic relations and establish presence in every country, in line with the vision of HM the King to make the Middle East a safe and stable region,
The Minister asserted that this vision was also reflected in the speech of His Majesty the King, at the Jeddah Summit for Security and Development, held in July 2022. In the speech, His Majesty stressed the importance of stabilising energy prices, and the need to support targeted initiatives aimed at exporting grain and wheat and their exporting countries.
The minister emphasised the Kingdom’s belief that sanctions are not a way to solve problems, but rather through negotiations, dialogue and collaborative global efforts can the world avoid further escalation and achieve permanent and comprehensive peace.
The Minister also indicated that Bahrain welcomes recent developments in efforts for exporting grain from Russia and Ukraine as they proceed towards the desired goals, stressing Bahrain’s belief that global food security should not be part of any sanctions, as they do not lead to sustainable solutions to crises.
In response to a journalist's question about the relationship with the State of Qatar, the Minister explained that the Kingdom of Bahrain has initiated invitations to hold bilateral talks several times to settle the remaining issues, in line with the Al-Ula Summit declaration.
However, Dr. Al-Zayani added, it is unfortunate that the State of Qatar has not responded to the several calls made by the Kingdom of Bahrain to engage so far, stressing Bahrain’s belief in the importance of dialogue and mutual understanding as the best means to achieve peace, stability, and prosperity to the region.
He added that the Kingdom believes that these pending matters should not be left unsettled, and continues to stress the importance of engaging with Qatar and continues to be open for dialogue and mutual understanding in line with Al-Ula Summit declaration in an attempt to solve pending issues between the two countries such as those related to aviation, and maritime coordination.
The Minister expressed appreciation to the State of Qatar’s responsiveness towards the decision of the Kingdom of Bahrain to allow movement of all citizens of the GCC countries and entry to the Kingdom of Bahrain through all ports using the identity card or passport without any additional procedures.
The Kingdom of Bahrain hopes that Qatar will respond to the Kingdom's calls to settle the remaining issues through bilateral talks and dialogue.
During the meeting, The Minister also highlighted the Kingdom's efforts in the field of protecting and promoting human rights, and the recently approved National Human Rights Plan by Cabinet, which was prepared by the Ministry in cooperation with the Higher Coordination Committee for Human Rights and in consultation with n stakeholders from various official agencies and civil society institutions within the Kingdom.
Chief of Human Rights Affairs, Ambassador Dr. Arwa Al-Sayed, presented an overview of the National Human Rights Plan (2022-2026), highlighting the main pillars of the plan which include civil and political rights, economic, social and cultural rights, the rights of groups with priority care needs, and solidarity rights. The Plan includes an executive programme of mechanisms and activities within each focus point and targeted approaches in the areas of legislation, capacity building, and the development of mechanisms and institutions.
Source: Bahrain News Agency