Bahrain FM arrives in Pakistan for two-day visit

Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Dr Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani is arriving in Pakistan on Wednesday for a two-day official visit aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation between the two countries.

According to the Foreign Office, Al Zayani will visit Pakistan from October 7 to 8 at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar. He will co-chair the third session of the Pakistan-Bahrain Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) with Dar.

The two sides are expected to review the full range of bilateral relations and explore opportunities for greater cooperation in trade, investment, economic ties, defence and security, labour, manpower and cultural exchanges.

Regional and international developments will also be discussed during the meetings. Pakistan and Bahrain are expected to coordinate their positions on issues of mutual interest at multilateral forums.

The Foreign Office described relations between Islamabad and Manama as close and brotherly, based on shared values, mutual respect and longstanding people-to-people connections.

The visit is expected to provide an opportunity for both sides to identify practical areas of cooperation and strengthen economic and diplomatic ties.

Earlier this month, Dar chaired an inter-ministerial meeting to review preparations for the JMC session. He directed relevant ministries to coordinate closely and work towards achieving concrete outcomes from the Bahraini minister’s visit.

Dar and Al Zayani previously met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York in September. They discussed bilateral relations, preparations for the JMC meeting and regional developments.

The two countries established the Joint Ministerial Commission in 2014. The previous JMC session was held in Manama in July 2021, when Pakistan and Bahrain also signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at promoting business cooperation between the two countries.