Foreign Ministry Undersecretary chairs Bahraini-Swiss consultation meeting

Manama, Nov. 21 (BNA): Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for International Affairs Shaikh Abdullah bin Ahmed Al Khalifa today co-chaired the fourth meeting of Political Consultations between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Swiss Confederation with Director General of the Middle East and North Africa Division at the Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs Maya Tissafi. Dr. Shaikh Abdullah welcomed the visiting delegation, noting that the historical relations between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Swiss Federation were based on many solid foundations. During the meeting, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for International Affairs stressed the importance of activating the memorandums of cooperation and agreements signed during the important visit of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to Switzerland in May 2016, which contributed to the improvement of relations. HM’s visit, he added, represented a major boost in terms of growing bilateral relations and common interests as well as it accelerated the implementation of the outputs of the third round of political consultations, held in Bern in February 2018. "The Kingdom of Bahrain accords high interest to excellence and innovation and wants to benefit from the exchange of experiences in this field where Switzerland is at the forefront of the world according to the Global Innovation Index 2019. Dr. Shaikh Abdullah referred to the pioneering steps and initiatives taken by the Kingdom of Bahrain in light of the comprehensive reform approach of His Majesty the King to promote and protect human rights and strengthen the foundations of the modern civil state, in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution, the law and international human rights standards. He said the Kingdom is leading in the world in the fight against terrorism and the protection of human rights, thanks to the establishment of the rule of law and institutions. The Undersecretary for International Affairs touched on the positive and effective participation of the Kingdom of Bahrain as a peace-loving country in many international and regional alliances and strategic partnerships to stabilize the region and ensure the security of navigation and global trade. For her part, the Swiss official praised the distinguished relations between the two friendly countries, praising the remarkable progress achieved by the Kingdom of Bahrain in the areas of reform, especially in women’s participation, protection of migrant labor rights, and combating trafficking in persons, in addition to offering facilities for investment and trade. The meeting also reviewed ways of opening new horizons for bilateral cooperation and exchanged views on regional and international and developments of common interest. (MOFA)