Remarks by the Foreign Minister on 2nd SESSION OF BAHRAIN – PAKISTAN Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) (28-29 July 2021, Manama)

His Excellency, Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani,
Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain,

His Excellency Dr. Shaikh Abdullah bin Ahmed bin Abdullah Al Khalifa
Under Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Senior Officials,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
السلام عليكم

At the outset, let me convey deepest gratitude to His Excellency, Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, the Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain for his invitation, which made it possible for us to meet in this beautiful city. My delegation and I sincerely appreciate the warm welcome and the hospitality extended to us.
Pakistan greatly values its relations with Bahrain, which are deeply rooted in common faith, history and people-to-people linkages. Pakistan and Bahrain share similarity of views on many issues of mutual interest and collaborate at various regional and international fora. We also collaborate closely for promotion of international and regional peace. We have abiding interest in further cementing the existing fraternal ties in all spheres.

I am pleased to acknowledge the positive trajectory of Pakistan-Bahrain relations in the recent past. We were happy to receive H.E Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, former Foreign Minister for a bilateral visit in February 2017 and April 2019. These visits helped us fast track cooperation in diverse fields.

We are grateful to the Kingdom of Bahrain for inviting the Prime Minister of Pakistan as Guest of Honour on the National Day of Bahrain on 16 December 2019 and to His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa for decorating him with Bahrain’s prestigious award “King Hamad Order of the Renaissance”. Our Prime Minister is appreciative of the sagacious manner in which His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and Prime Minister, are pursuing the socio-economic development of the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Our government is focused on greater economic, trade and investment cooperation with Bahrain and other countries in the region. Our Prime Minister’s vision is centred on economic security. The New Pakistan offers itself as an economic hub, a melting pot for positive global economic interests, based on three pillars: (1) Regional connectivity; (2) Providing economic bases as development strategy; (3) Peace within our borders and beyond.

There are great business and investment opportunities in Pakistan, especially under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. In this regard, we look forward to working closely with the Kingdom of Bahrain and other GCC countries.

Pakistan’s efforts towards greater economic and strategic integration with the Gulf region are evident from the frequent visits to the Gulf countries by our Prime Minister, ever since he took office in 2018.

We are thankful to the Kingdom for encouraging our workers to stay in Bahrain during challenging times of COVID-19 and extending extraordinary support to them. We also express our sincere gratitude for the provision of medical oxygen and medical equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic.

I have been informed that Bahrain has imported textile products from Pakistan for its hospitals and quarantine centres. We would be pleased to assist Bahrain in procurement of other COVID-19 – related “made in Pakistan” equipment as well.

I would also like to convey special thanks to the leadership of Bahrain for the gift of King Hamad University of Nursing and Allied Medical Sciences in Islamabad. The management of the project has already signed an MoU with National Logistics Cell, Pakistan and the project is on the right track.

Pakistan and Bahrain have history of multi-dimensional security and defence cooperation. Visits of Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff in January and March 2021, Chief of Naval Staff in March 2021 and Chief of Air Staff in January 2020 and Commander Bahrain’s National Guard (2019, 2020 and 2021) have been greatly helpful in reinvigorating friendly ties between our armed forces and exploring potential areas of cooperation.

Please allow me to express our deepest gratitude to the leadership and Government of Bahrain for supporting Pakistan at the United Nations and the OIC on the Kashmir issue, as well as at the Financial Action Task Force through the GCC platform. This valuable support is highly appreciated by Pakistan.
The Kingdom of Bahrain is a place where Pakistani Diaspora lives with peace and dignity and contributes towards the progress of both countries. Pakistanis in Bahrain are an effective bridge between our two countries. We are proud of their positive role. And we also wish this people – to – people bond to be further strengthened.

Pakistan-Bahrain Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) is an essential platform to carry forward our bilateral cooperative ties. I am happy to note that a lot of hard work has gone into preparation for this meeting. It is important to follow up on the decisions taken during such meetings and prepare a robust mechanism for implementation of not only the agreed minutes but also the Agreements/MoUs already signed between our two countries.

We look forward to extensive discussions on the agenda items of the 2nd Session of Pakistan-Bahrain Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC).

Thank you.