Pakistan-Bahrain ministerial meeting agrees to boost bilateral ties: Javed Malik

BAHRAIN: Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz held a meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bahrain Shaikh Khalid Bin Ahmed Al Khalifa to discuss ways to further consolidate and strengthen bilateral relations between Pakistan and the Kingdom of Bahrain. The ministers expressed their satisfaction at the strong bond of friendship between both countries and agreed to continue efforts to build closer linkages between both sides.

Sartaj Aziz appreciated the government and people of Bahrain on the successful conclusion of the Manama Dialogue, which has established itself as an important regional forum. Speaking after the meeting, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Bahrain Javed Malik said that the relations between both countries are on the upswing and the recent meeting between both ministers would most certainly give a further boost to our ties. Javed Malik said that the Embassy of Pakistan, with the cooperation of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of both countries, is working towards expanding and enhancing the scope of relations between Pakistan and Bahrain with a clear focus on promoting closer economic ties. He said that in July 2016, high level Bahraini delegation led by Shaikha Rana Bint Isa Al Khalifa had visited Pakistan to hold Pakistan-Bahrain Bilateral Consultations, which was aimed at agreeing on a framework to expand our ties in all fields.

In September 2016, Pakistan Embassy in Bahrain successfully organised the First Pakistan-Bahrain Business Opportunities Conference that was co-chaired by the ministers of commerce of both countries. The conference was attended by over five hundred business delegates from Pakistan and Bahrain in an effort to identify areas of economic cooperation and promote business, trade and investment between both countries. The Pakistan-Bahrain Joint Business Council also held a meeting on the sidelines of the conference.  

Ambassador Javed Malik said that the Bahraini Minister of Foreign Affairs Shaikh Khalid Bin Ahmed Al Khalifa will be visiting Pakistan in January 2017 for the first Joint Ministerial Commission between Pakistan and Bahrain and this would be a major milestone in the bilateral relations of both countries as they will hold formal discussions to agree on a comprehensive framework of cooperation to expand, upgrade and enhance the diplomatic, political, economic, strategic and cultural ties between Pakistan and Bahrain.