Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid has 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 favour of the Maldives. He made the remarks during the joint press conference held with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bahrain Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani during the ongoing state visit of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih to Bahrain.
At the joint press conference, Minister Shahid 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 the promotion of human rights.
Highlighting the details of the ongoing visit, Minister Shahid said President Solih met with King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa at the Qudaibiya Palace, 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 President Solih met with the Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, and other senior officials of the Bahraini government.
Furthermore, 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 centres, and the joint Bahrain-Maldives tourist packages with potential subsidy from Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) with Maldivian tour operators.
Elaborating on cooperation on the multilateral front, Minister Shahid stated that the leaders of both countries denounced terrorism in all its manifestations and were committed to fighting against terrorism, as well as transnational organised 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, as well as the need to intensify efforts to reach a just settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
Additionally, Minister Shahid said President Solih expressed his gratitude to the King for the warm welcome and wonderful hospitality accorded to him and First Lady Fazna Ahmed on the visit. He also noted President Solih was honoured to visit Manama as the first-ever state visit by a Maldivian Head of State to Bahrain.
Before concluding his statement, Minister Solih reiterated President Solih's invitation to King Hamad, Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman to visit the Maldives at their earliest convenience, and thanked the respective dignitaries for bringing the two countries together. He reaffirmed that the Maldives is committed to elevating the relationship with Bahrain to new heights.