Bahrain participates in Tbilisi Silk Road Forum

Tbilisi, Oct. 22 (BNA): Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (BACA) President Shaikha Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa participated in the Silk Road Forum in the Georgian capital Tbilisi. The biennial forum on October 22-23 is attended by around 2,000 government leaders, experts, business people and media figures from 60 countries. The Silk Road Forum is in its third edition after it was held in 2015 and 2019. "I am deeply grateful to His Royal Highness Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the prime minister, for directing us to take part in the forum," Shaikha Mai said. "The forum is a great opportunity to promote the status of Bahrain as a civilizational, cultural and economic center that connects various civilizations through culture and the economy." The forum is a window for Bahrain as through this participation, it is possible to reinvigorate the exchange of experiences and perspectives on Bahrain's future role in the Silk Road project that revives old trade routes and connects East and West, she added. "For thousands of years, these roads were not only ways of exchanging goods, but also for the meeting of civilizations and the exchange of cultures and knowledge." Opening the two-day Tbilisi Silk Road Forum, Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia said that the conception of the New Silk Road, to connect Europe with Asia, and the participation in the initiative are among the top priorities of the Georgian government. "In the modern world, when economic integration and globalization are in action, the development of trade and economic relations between countries is of top importance and we are proud to be the part of the Silk Road initiative which serves the goal of close economic, state-to-state cooperation,” Gakharia said. "The Tbilisi Silk Road Forum is 'an important opportunity' and a platform on which the countries involved in the Silk Road initiative, international organizations and the private sector discuss regional economic challenges, searching for ways on how to overcome the challenges and share experience. I am sure that the Tbilisi Silk Road Forum will play an important role in the implementation of the Silk Road initiative. We believe that the forum will help Georgia carry out its function, to be a connecting bridge between Europe and Asia, more effectively,” Gakharia said.