The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Maldives, Abdulla Shahid, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain, H.E. Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani on Thursday evening, held a joint press conference with regard to President Solih’s ongoing State Visit to Bahrain. Minister Shahid is currently in Bahrain as part of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih's high-level delegation joining him on the State Visit.
Highlighting the details of the ongoing visit, Minister Shahid said that the President met with the King, H.M. Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa at the Qudaibiya Palace this morning, where the two discussed the close existing cooperation and exploring new avenues for future cooperation. The two leaders also deliberated on strengthening cooperation in the economic, trade, and investment fields; supporting the role of the private sector in economic growth; and enhancing people-to-people contact through travel, trade, and commerce. He also noted that the President met with H.R.H Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and other senior officials of the Bahraini government.
Minister Shahid outlined the four Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) signed between the Maldives and Bahrain and stated that they proved the commitment of the two countries to further consolidate bilateral ties. He also discussed the Air Services Agreement between the two countries; Bahrain’s decision to include the Maldives as a sea-to-air partner; the decision to grant Maldives sovereignty over the data of its beneficiaries in Bahrain-based data centers; and the joint Bahrain-Maldives tourist packages with potential subsidy from Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) with Maldivian tour operators.
Elaborating on Maldives and Bahrain’s cooperation on the multilateral front, the Maldives’ Foreign Minister stated that the leaders of both countries denounced terrorism in all its manifestations and were committed to fighting against terrorism, as well as transnational organized crime and enhancing cyber security. He also stated that Maldives and Bahrain concur on issues such as the importance of ensuring maritime security and trade freedom and the need to intensify efforts to reach a just settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
Minister Shahid appreciated the decision of the Bahraini government to withdraw its candidature to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for the term 2023-2025 in favor of the Maldives. He also noted the country’s active role and positive contributions during its three terms as a member of the UNHRC, stating that it reflected the importance Bahrain placed on promoting human rights.
Minister Shahid said that the President expressed his gratitude to the King for the warm welcome and wonderful hospitality accorded to him and First Lady Fazna Ahmed on this visit. He also noted that the President and the First Lady were honored to visit Manama as the first-ever State visit by a Maldivian Head of State to the Kingdom of Bahrain.
Before concluding his statement, the Minister reiterated President Solih's invitation to His Majesty the King, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, and Prime Minister to visit the Republic of Maldives at their earliest convenience, and thanked the respective dignitaries for bringing the two countries together. He reaffirmed that the Maldivian government is committed to elevating the Maldives-Bahrain relationship to new heights.
Highlighting the details of the ongoing visit, Minister Shahid said that the President met with the King, H.M. Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa at the Qudaibiya Palace this morning, where the two discussed the close existing cooperation and exploring new avenues for future cooperation. The two leaders also deliberated on strengthening cooperation in the economic, trade, and investment fields; supporting the role of the private sector in economic growth; and enhancing people-to-people contact through travel, trade, and commerce. He also noted that the President met with H.R.H Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and other senior officials of the Bahraini government.
Minister Shahid outlined the four Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) signed between the Maldives and Bahrain and stated that they proved the commitment of the two countries to further consolidate bilateral ties. He also discussed the Air Services Agreement between the two countries; Bahrain’s decision to include the Maldives as a sea-to-air partner; the decision to grant Maldives sovereignty over the data of its beneficiaries in Bahrain-based data centers; and the joint Bahrain-Maldives tourist packages with potential subsidy from Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) with Maldivian tour operators.
Elaborating on Maldives and Bahrain’s cooperation on the multilateral front, the Maldives’ Foreign Minister stated that the leaders of both countries denounced terrorism in all its manifestations and were committed to fighting against terrorism, as well as transnational organized crime and enhancing cyber security. He also stated that Maldives and Bahrain concur on issues such as the importance of ensuring maritime security and trade freedom and the need to intensify efforts to reach a just settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
Minister Shahid appreciated the decision of the Bahraini government to withdraw its candidature to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for the term 2023-2025 in favor of the Maldives. He also noted the country’s active role and positive contributions during its three terms as a member of the UNHRC, stating that it reflected the importance Bahrain placed on promoting human rights.
Minister Shahid said that the President expressed his gratitude to the King for the warm welcome and wonderful hospitality accorded to him and First Lady Fazna Ahmed on this visit. He also noted that the President and the First Lady were honored to visit Manama as the first-ever State visit by a Maldivian Head of State to the Kingdom of Bahrain.
Before concluding his statement, the Minister reiterated President Solih's invitation to His Majesty the King, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, and Prime Minister to visit the Republic of Maldives at their earliest convenience, and thanked the respective dignitaries for bringing the two countries together. He reaffirmed that the Maldivian government is committed to elevating the Maldives-Bahrain relationship to new heights.
