Category: Politics

Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, met Antonio Guterres, the Secretary General of the United Nations (UN), on the sidelines of the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

Dr. Al Zayani conveyed the greetings of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, and Prime Minister, and the appreciation for the efforts undertaken by the Secretary General in enhancing international cooperation, and supporting the efforts of member states to achieve UN goals and maintain the advancement of the basis of security, peace and development.

Guterres extended his greetings and appreciation to HM King Hamad and the HRH Crown Prince and Prime Minister and expressed gratitude for Bahrain’s cooperation and achievements in sustainable development, wishing the kingdom further progress and prosperity.

The two parties reviewed further enhancing Bahrain’s bilateral cooperation with the UN and its agencies and discussed topics of common interests.

The meeting was attended by Dr. Shaikh Abdullah bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Political Affairs; Dr. Shaikha Muneera bint Khalifa Al Khalifa the Director-General of the Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa Academy for Diplomatic Studies; Ambassador Jamal Fares Al Rowaiei the Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the UN in New York.

Source: Bahrain News Agency

Nawaf bin Mohammed Al Maawda, Minister of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments Affairs, received Abdul Salam Saddam Muhaisen, Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of the Republic of Iraq to the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Al Maawda commended bilateral ties and discussed topics of common interest.

Source: Bahrain News Agency

Lieutenant General His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, National Security Advisor and Royal Guard Commander Brigadier General Mohammed Rashid Al Mutairi, the newly appointed Military Attaché at the Kuwaiti embassy to Bahrain.

HH commended the deep-rooted Bahraini-Kuwaiti ties and the level of cooperation between the two countries.

Source: Bahrain News Agency

Lieutenant General His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, National Security Advisor and Royal Guard Commander received Colonel Wang Tao, the newly appointed Military Attaché at the Chinese embassy to Bahrain.

HH Shaikh Nasser commended the Bahraini-Chinese ties and the level of cooperation between the two countries.

Source: Bahrain News Agency

The Deputy King, His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, today received the credentials of five newly appointed ambassadors to the Kingdom of Bahrain, during a ceremony held at Sakhir Palace.

HRH The Deputy King received the credentials of:

– The Ambassador of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria, HE Mahmoud Braham

– The Ambassador of the Republic of Korea, HE HeonSang Koo

– The Ambassador of the Republic of France, HE Eric Giraud-Telme

– The Ambassador of the Republic of India, HE Vinod Kurian Jacob

– The Ambassador of the United Kingdom, HE Alastair Long

HRH the Deputy King welcomed the ambassadors and commended the strength of bilateral relations between the Kingdom of Bahrain and their respective countries.

His Royal Highness extended the greetings of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to the Ambassadors’ heads of state, as well as His Majesty’s best wishes for success in their diplomatic duties and the furthering of relations between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Ambassadors’ respective countries. HRH the Deputy King also conveyed his own greetings to the Ambassadors’ heads of state and wished the Ambassadors success in performing their diplomatic duties.

The Ambassadors conveyed the greetings of their heads of state to His Majesty the King and His Royal Highness and their well wishes for the Kingdom of Bahrain’s continued progress and prosperity. The newly appointed Ambassadors also commended the longstanding relations between their countries and Bahrain.

The newly appointed ambassadors had arrived separately at Sakhir Palace, where they were received by the Chief of Royal Protocol, Major-General Khalifa bin Ahmed Al-Fadhala.

The Personal Representative of His Majesty the King, His Highness Shaikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Khalifa, HM the King’s Representative for Humanitarian Work and Youth Affairs, National Security Advisor and Royal Guard Commander, Lieutenant-General HH Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Isa bin Salman Education Charitable Trust, His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Minister of the Royal Court, HE Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, the Chief of the Royal Protocols, Major General Khalifa bin Ahmed Al-Fadhala, and the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Consular and Administrative Affairs, Ambassador Dr Mohamed Ali Bahzad, also attended the ceremony.

Source: Bahrain News Agency

The National Institution for Human Rights (NIHR) participated in the annual meeting and biennial conference of the Asia-Pacific Forum (APF), which is organised in cooperation with the National Human Rights Commission of India under the patronage of Droupadi Murmu, President of India.

Ali Ahmed Al-Derazi, NIHR Chairman, and Chancellor Yasser Ghanim Shaheen, Secretary-General of the NIHR led the Bahraini delegation.

The NIHR delegation participated in the 28th annual meeting of the Asia-Pacific Forum, where the forum’s performance report was reviewed during the period from June 2022 to June 2023, and the report on gender objectives in national institutions.

The financial report was approved, and the accreditation classification of the members of the Forum was also approved during this period.

At the meeting, a member was elected to the APF Governance Committee.

The NIHR delegation also participated in the APF dialogue with civil society institutions, which was held on the sidelines of the annual conference, and aimed to discuss ways to activate cooperation, the mechanism of future work, the challenges facing human rights work, and the proposed solutions.

Source: Bahrain News Agency

A high-level session held today at the UN headquarters in New York on the Rohingya minority crisis brought together Prime Minister of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh Sheikha Hasina Wajid and Advisor to the Saudi Royal Court and Supervisor General of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Rabeeah.

The meeting was held on the sidelines of the 78th UN General Assembly meeting.

In a key speech at the session, Dr. Al Rabeeah stressed that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been a firm supporter of the international community’s stand vis-à-vis the Rohingya, refusing to accept that they are deprived of their rights, noting that since the beginning of the conflict, the kingdom has hosted 260,000 Rohingya refugees, providing their children with public health care, employment and education opportunities at a cost of $2,25 billion.

He added that Saudi Arabia has also been supporting Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and other countries over the past few years through 43 projects valued at $186 million in areas related to emergency relief response, education, shelter and health.

In addition to other projects currently being implemented, he said, KSrelief carried out 25 other projects valued at more than $26 million.

Dr. Al Rabeeah pledged continued Saudi support for the Rohingya, in cooperation with the international community, to ensure that they attain their right to live in peace and dignity in their homeland, and will continue to support refugees in Bangladesh, to which he conveyed the kingdom’s thanks and appreciation for its generous hosting of large numbers of Rohingya refugees.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

The “Civil Values Alliance” was announced this evening in Baghdad, which will participate in the upcoming provincial council elections at the end of this year.

The new Alliance, which bears the number (203) on the electoral list, includes a group of parliamentary and academic figures, politicians from the Iraqi Communist Party, and tribal sheikhs and notables from various governorates.

Source: National Iraqi News Agency

Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi has stressed the importance of following up and strengthening the ties between the Council and the United Kingdom, including the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two sides, which is an essential element of the strategic partnership and will contribute to achieving common interests.

This came during Albudaiwi’s meeting with Minister of State for the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia and United Nations at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Lord Tariq Ahmad today, on the sidelines of the meetings of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the United States of America.

Albudaiwi stated that several topics were discussed during the meeting, most notably following up on the developments in the negotiations of the FTA between the Council and the UK and Northern Ireland, in addition to following up on the outcomes of the recently held GCC-British ministerial meeting.

The two sides also reviewed the latest developments at the regional and international levels of common interest, especially in enhancing regional and global security and stability.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi has stated that the relations between the GCC and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan are witnessing growth and development in cooperation at various levels, adding that the GCC countries look forward to reaching a final consensus to sign the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two sides.

This came during the Secretary General’s meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Jalil Abbas Jilani on Saturday on the sidelines of his participation in the meetings of 78th session of the UN General Assembly in New York, USA

The Secretary-General highlighted the strong historical relations between the GCC countries and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, emphasizing their contribution to strengthening cooperation. The meeting encompassed discussions on various topics, notably the progress of free trade negotiations and the significance of advancing these discussions to serve mutual economic and commercial interests. They also exchanged views on regional and international matters, while focusing on the Joint Action Plan approved for the period 2022-2026

Source: Saudi Press Agency

On the occasion of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s 93rd National Day, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the Kingdom Sheikh Nahyan bin Saif Al Nahyan has expressed his warmest congratulations to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, as well as to His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and the brotherly Saudi people. He acknowledged the Saudi people’s right to rejoice and celebrate a long history of achievements in various fields, while wishing them a future filled with success and prosperity.

Al Nahyan further highlighted the deep-rooted bonds of blood, history, and common destiny that unite the two countries. The UAE and Saudi Arabia share a unique model of solid brotherhood based on good neighborliness, joint work, and common interests. This strong relationship is marked by distinguished and well-established historical ties, particularly through kinship and common destiny. The Saudi-Emirati partnership encompasses various facets, including economic, commercial, and investment aspects.

Source: Saudi Press Agency

Five member states of the Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO) including the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Republic of Cyprus, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, and the Republic of Rwanda launched today the ‘United Nations Group of Friends for Digital Cooperation’ initiative at the United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York City.

The event was held on the sidelines of the 78th annual UN General Assembly (UNGA) meetings.

This initiative aims to lead global support and sustainable growth for the digital economy, enabling prosperity and social inclusivity for all on a global scale.

The group emphasized that digital technologies have transformed societies over the past two decades, connecting billions of individuals, governments, and businesses. It underscored the pressing need for digital empowerment makers to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, the group says, the digital divide still exists and hinders economic growth and sustainable development.

The ‘Group of Friends for Digital Cooperation’ will support collective efforts aimed at enhancing the digital economy and will work on launching initiatives, projects, and events that can stimulate the development of the global digital economy.

The DCO, headquartered in Riyadh, supports the initiative of the group and the launch of its member states.

Secretary-General of the DCO Deemah Al-Yahya emphasized that the UN Group of Friends for Digital Cooperation was established as an initiative from the DCO to facilitate international, multi-stakeholder action and cooperation in the realignment of the 2030 UN SDGs.

Al-Yahya expressed satisfaction in welcoming the Republic of Cyprus to the UN Group of Friends for Digital Cooperation.

Source: Saudi Press Agency