MOFA undersecretary receives Estonian officials

Manama, Mar. 15 (BNA): Undersecretary for International Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Shaikh Abdullah bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, today received the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee at the Riigikogu (Estonian Parliament), Marko Mihkelson, Ambassador-at-Large for United Nations issues in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia, Margus Kolga, and Counsellor at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kaisa Mitt-Alvarez. During the meeting, Dr. Shaikh Abdullah reviewed the bases and principles of the foreign policy of Bahrain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and their contributions to the consolidation of world security and peace. He also touched on the comprehensive reforms and qualitative gains being witnessed by the Kingdom thanks to the royal reform approach of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, affirming that Bahrain is a country of stability and development. The undersecretary has described the meeting as reflective of the progress of the Bahraini-Estonian relations in the framework of Bahrain’s ties with the European Union which are based on mutual understanding and friendship. He also regarded the meeting as a suitable opportunity for opening broader horizons of cooperation and joint coordination at all levels in addition to being a translation of both sides’ keen desire to achieve common interests. He affirmed that the Kingdom of Bahrain stands for an exemplary model in the region in terms of development, sustainable reform, youth initiatives, tolerance and respect for religious freedom and human rights at large, and meantime it successfully and effectively confronts terrorist and expansionist plans as well as illegitimate foreign intervention. In their turn, the Chairman of the Estonian Riigikogu’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Marko Mihkelson, and his accompanying delegation, affirmed that their current visit to the Kingdom of Bahrain was to learn about Bahrain’s measures to reinforce the democratic practices and safeguard national and regional security. The Estonian officials hailed Bahrain’s excellent achievements in the areas of women empowerment, human resources development indexes and adoption of modern open economic policies where the social dimension also matters.