PM Shehbaz lands in Bahrain for two-day visit to foster ‘strategic partnership’

In an attempt to explore new avenues of cooperation and further strengthen ties, Prime Minister Shehbaz on Wednesday reached Bahrain on a two-day official visit from November 26–27.

At Manama airport, Crown Prince and PM Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa welcomed PM Shehbaz and the accompanying delegation.

“The visit reaffirms the longstanding and multifaceted relationship between the two brotherly countries,” the Foreign Office said in a statement. It said the prime minister will be accompanied by a high-level delegation, including Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, federal ministers and senior officers.

During the visit, the prime minister will hold high-level engagements with the leadership of Bahrain to further enhance bilateral cooperation in the areas of trade, investment, energy, technology, education and culture, the FO said.

The FO communique said the visit is expected to reinforce the traditionally warm and cordial ties, identify new avenues of partnership, and deepen people-to-people linkages, contributing to mutually beneficial cooperation.

“This official visit underscores Pakistan’s continued engagement with the Kingdom of Bahrain, aimed at fostering a results-oriented and strategic partnership between the two countries.”

In July this year, the two countries pledged to strengthen cooperation in counter-terrorism, anti-human trafficking, and narcotics control.

The development came after Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi held a meeting with his Bahraini counterpart, General Sheikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, in Manama to discuss matters of mutual interest, with a strong focus on enhancing security cooperation.

According to a statement released by state-run news agency Radio Pakistan, both sides reviewed bilateral efforts in counter-terrorism, anti-human trafficking, and narcotics control, and agreed to strengthen cooperation in these areas.

The two leaders also discussed ways to make the Pakistan-Bahrain joint security committee more effective in addressing regional and global security challenges.

The Bahraini interior minister had termed Naqvi’s visit a valuable opportunity to deepen security ties and praised the current level of coordination between the two countries.