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Category: Bahrain

  • Japan and Bahrain eye greater business cooperation

    Japan and Bahrain eye greater business cooperation

    TOKYO: Japan’s Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya and Bahrain’s Prime Minister and Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa held talks here on Friday to boost business cooperation.

    Iwaya highlighted frameworks for such cooperation including the Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue, Tokyo’s Foreign Ministry reported.

    Iwaya and his Bahraini counterpart Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Alzayani held the first meeting under this agreement earlier this month.

    Iwaya noted the nearly 100-year friendship between the two countries.

    He said the relationship has expanded beyond the energy sector to politics, security, the environment, information and communication technology, space, and culture.

    In their meeting in Tokyo on Friday, Iwaya and the crown prince also discussed the situation in the Middle East, including Israel’s war on Gaza.

    Both sides reaffirmed the importance of realizing a “two-state solution” for Palestine and resolving conflicts through dialogue.

    They also reaffirmed the critical importance of maritime security and agreed to continue close coordination in this area.

    The crown prince said he was pleased that concrete projects are developing between the public and private sectors.

    Later in the day, he had a meeting with Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba at the latter’s office. There was an honor guard ceremony before the signing of agreements and a dinner hosted by Ishiba.

  • Bahrain, US firms sign $17 billion in deals to deepen economic ties: news agency BNA

    Bahrain, US firms sign $17 billion in deals to deepen economic ties: news agency BNA

    Bahraini and US companies signed a series of agreements worth approximately $17 billion, aimed at strengthening economic ties and advancing cooperation across key sectors, Bahrain’s state news agency BNA reported on Wednesday.

    The deals span sectors such as aviation, technology, industry, and investment.

    Among the agreements, Cisco Systems will provide digital solutions for Bahrain’s government information and telecommunications infrastructure.

    Separately, plans were announced to establish an 800-kilometre (497-mile) multi-fiber submarine cable linking Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Iraq to global networks, according to BNA.

    Bahraini financial institutions and private-sector firms also announced plans to invest $10.7 billion in the United States, while sovereign wealth fund Mumtalakat signed deals with several US companies to invest $2 billion in downstream aluminium projects, with a focus on job creation.

    The signing ceremony took place during Bahraini Prime Minister and Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa’s visit to Washington late on Tuesday.

    He emphasized that expanding cooperation with the United States could help create new economic opportunities through investment and collaboration.

    In 2023, Bahrain and the US signed a security and economic agreement, and Bahrain continues to host the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet and the headquarters of the US Naval Forces Central Command.

  • Iran and Bahrain agree to discuss restoration of relations

    Iran and Bahrain agree to discuss restoration of relations

    Iran and Bahrain have had no diplomatic relations for eight years due to enmity over various issues. However, this time, forgetting the differences, both sides have agreed to start talks to mend the relationship.

    The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bahrain said that a meeting was held between the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bahrain, Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani, and the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran, Ali Bagheri Kani, in Tehran on Sunday (June 23). After the meeting, the two foreign ministers agreed to start talks to restore political relations between the two countries.

    In a statement, the ministry said the two sides have agreed to take the necessary steps to begin discussions to figure out how to reactivate political relations.

    Bahrain and Iran have been at loggerheads for more than a decade. Manama cut ties with Tehran in 2016 following tensions between Bahrain’s ally Saudi Arabia and Iran. Bahrain blames Iran for its involvement in the 2011 anti-government protests led by the country’s Shia community.

    However, in 2016, Saudi Arabia also severed ties with Iran. But Riyadh and Tehran patched up ties last year as part of an agreement brokered by China. If everything goes well with Saudi Arabia, the relationship between Iran and Bahrain will also warm up.

    Earlier this month, Iranian media reported that Bahrain sent a request through Russia to restore diplomatic relations with Iran. Apart from this, Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa expressed his desire to improve relations with Iran last May.

    Source: Al-Jazeera

  • That’s why Bahrain is eager to restore relations with Iran

    That’s why Bahrain is eager to restore relations with Iran

    Neighboring Bahrain wants to re-establish diplomatic relations with Iran, one of the most influential countries in the Middle East. For this they have sent a request through Russia.

    Al-Jazeera reported this news on Friday (June 7) in Iran’s media. It has started a new diplomatic activity in the Middle East. The question is why Bahrain is moving here suddenly?

    Bahraini officials are eager to restore relations with Iran after years of tension, the report said. They are trying through Russia.

    Iran’s Press TV reports that Bahrain has sent a message to Iran through Russia. They don’t want excitement anymore. Hoping for friendly relations between the two countries.

    Iran’s Press TV quoted Jamshidi as saying that Bahrain has sent a message to Iran through Russia to normalize relations with Iran.

    Manama cut diplomatic ties with Tehran in 2016 amid tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Last year, Saudi Arabia normalized its relations with Iran through the mediation of China.

    But Bahrain, backed by Saudi Arabia, could not normalize everything. They slowly moved on this path. Recently, Bahrain has been more active in this regard.

    It is known that Bahrain’s King Hamad Al Khalifa met Russian President Vladimir Putin on a recent visit to Moscow. There, he said, the problem that Bahrain had with Iran in the past has been eliminated. Therefore, he does not want to delay in returning to normal relations with Iran.