MANAMA: Pakistan and Bahrain on Wednesday agreed to continue working closely to further strengthen bilateral relations in fields of trade, investment, energy and culture.
Both countries also together for B2B interaction between the businessmen of two countries and the finalization of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) and Bahrain Tourism and Exhibition Authority.
This was agreed during the 2nd meeting of the Bahrain-Pakistan Joint Ministerial commission held in Manama, the capital of Bahrain. The Bahraini side was chaired by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Abdullatif Bin Rashid Al Zayani, while the Pakistani side was chaired by Foreign Minster Shah Mahmood Qureshi. An agreement was signed between the two countries in 2014 for the establishment of Joint Ministerial Commission
Both countries held fruitful discussions and agreed to work for cooperation for joint investment in industrial sector and holding expert level meetings of joint working groups in agriculture, Trade & Investment, labour and manpower, oil and gas sector and IT sector.
The meeting focused on bilateral cooperation in various sectors including political, economic, commerce, finance & banking, industry, public health, overseas employment, higher education, science & technology, information, culture & arts, agriculture & livestock and technical cooperation.
Bahrain’s foreign minister Dr Al Zayani welcomed the Pakistani delegation and expressed his keen interest in furthering the deep-rooted bilateral relationship between the two countries.
He underlined the importance of establishing an open and enabling environment for business and economic cooperation, so that the potential for development between the two countries could be fully harnessed.
He also highlighted the two countries’ efforts in combating the COVID-19 pandemic, from its very outset, as an outstanding example of their close and effective cooperation, noting the efficient work to repatriate citizens back in 2020, the free access to vaccination for the Pakistani expatriate community, and the ongoing care and assistance provided to Pakistanis in Bahrain.
Qureshi thanked the Bahraini side for the warm welcome and hospitality extended to him and his delegation. He highlighted the longstanding relations between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, characterized by a spirit of friendship and solidarity.
He further observed that the experience and expertise acquired by both countries in many spheres over time could be shared for their mutual benefit. He emphasized the need to expand economic ties between the two countries. The two sides highlighted the importance of the regular meetings of established bilateral mechanisms and high-level bilateral visits.
On the sidelines of JMC, a MoU between Bahrain Development Board (EDB) and Board of Investment of Pakistan was also signed to promote bilateral investment between the two friendly countries.
Both sides resolved to implement the decisions reached during the 2nd Session expeditiously and finalize at the earliest, the MoUs/Agreements under consideration. They agreed to hold the 3rd Meeting of Pakistan-Bahrain Joint Ministerial Commission in Islamabad in 2022.
