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King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain confers the First Class Order of Sheikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa on President Asif Ali Zardari in Manama. Photo: PPI
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan and Bahrain on Wednesday reaffirmed their common commitment to peace, stability and multilateralism and underlined the importance of dialogue and diplomacy to address regional challenges.
In a meeting between President Asif Zardari and Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the two leaders agreed on the need to coordinate efforts in international forums, including the United Nations, on issues of common concern to the Muslim Ummah.
President Zardari, who arrived in Manama on Tuesday evening, visited King Hamad at Al-Qudaibiya Palace in Manama and held in-depth discussions aimed at further strengthening the close and brotherly relations between the two countries.
During the meeting, according to a press release issued by the media wing of the Presidential Secretariat, Zardari highlighted unity, perseverance, wisdom and restraint, calling them essential virtues in the coming period. Through collective determination, he continued, countries could not only survive but also prosper.
He observed that the international community was going through difficult times marked by uncertainty and rapid change and stressed that nations must come together to meet the challenges of an emerging world order. Instability affecting one could have more serious consequences for others, he warned.
The president highlighted the long-standing defense and security cooperation between the two countries. He highlighted the close institutional ties between the armed forces of Pakistan and Bahrain and reaffirmed Pakistan’s keenness to further strengthen this partnership.
Zardari received a guard of honor upon his arrival at Al-Qudaibiya Palace. King Hamad also awarded the kingdom’s highest honour, ‘First Class Order of Shaikh Isa Bin Salman Al Khalifa’, to President Zardari for his contribution to strengthening relations between Pakistan and Bahrain.
Earlier, the president had a one-on-one meeting with the king. The two leaders reviewed the general state of bilateral relations and expressed satisfaction with their positive trajectory. Zardari reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to expanding bilateral cooperation in various areas.
Later, an extended meeting took place between the two sides, during which they discussed concrete ways to strengthen trade and investment cooperation. The president highlighted Pakistan’s desire to translate strong political relations into increased trade and deeper investment ties.
He invited Bahraini investors to explore opportunities in Pakistan’s priority sectors, including agriculture and food security, information technology (IT) and digital services, health, tourism and infrastructure.
President Zardari paid tribute to the Pakistani community in Bahrain, describing it as a vital bridge between the two nations. He thanked Bahraini leaders for the respect, opportunities and support extended to more than 116,000 Pakistanis living and working in the kingdom.
Later, King Hamad hosted a banquet for President Zardari. Speaking on the occasion, King Hamad described Pakistan and Bahrain as brotherly countries bound by their historical relations anchored in mutual respect, Islamic brotherhood and shared interests.
The King described the President’s visit as an important step in strengthening bilateral relations and reaffirmed Bahrain’s commitment to expanding cooperation with Pakistan in the political, economic, trade and development fields.
He appreciated Pakistan’s constant support to Bahrain and the cause of Arab and Islamic nations, as well as Islamabad’s efforts to promote regional and international peace and stability. He praised the positive contribution of the Pakistani community to the development of the kingdom.
The President was accompanied by First Lady Aseefa Bhutto Zardari, Senator Saleem Mandviwalla and Balochistan Agriculture Minister Mir Ali Hassan Zehri. Pakistan Ambassador to Bahrain Saqib Rauf was also present on the occasion.
From the Bahraini side, Commander of the Bahrain National Guard Sheikh Muhammad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bahrain Sheikh Abdul Latif bin Rashid Al Zayani and Bahraini Ambassador to Pakistan Ibrahim Abdul Qadir also attended the meeting.
