Bahrain, Brazil issue joint declaration on official visit of President Bolsonaro

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain and Brazil have issued the following joint declaration on the official visit of President Jair Bolsonaro to Bahrain on November 16-17:

1. At the invitation of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the President of the Federative Republic of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, visited the Kingdom of Bahrain on 16-17 November 2021. This is the first visit by a Brazilian Head of State to the Kingdom of Bahrain, which marks a new stage in the bilateral relationship, characterized by growing socio-cultural, political, trade and investment ties between the two countries.

2. The President of Brazil was welcomed by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa in Manama, where he inaugurated the Embassy of Brazil in the Bahraini capital. Recalling the opening in 2018 of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Bahrain in Brasilia, the leaders highlighted the importance of these diplomatic representations for the establishment of an increasingly fluid dialogue between the two countries.

3. The leaders expressed their intention to continue to strengthen the bilateral political dialogue, including through high-level visits. In this context, the President of the Republic invited His Majesty the King of Bahrain to visit Brazil, on a date to be defined through diplomatic channels. His Majesty awarded President Jair Bolsonaro the Bahrain Order – Premium Class of the Order of Sheikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa. The President of Brazil awarded His Majesty the Grand Collar of the Brazilian National Medal of the Southern Cross.

4. The leaders welcomed the remarkable expansion of bilateral trade throughout 2021, which demonstrates the complementarity between the two economies and the potential of commercial ties. Bilateral trade is expected to exceed the US$2 billion mark by 2021, and Brazil is expected to become one of Bahrain's main suppliers. Both leaders reinforced their willingness to consider ways to diversify and further advance the bilateral trade agenda.

5. The President of the Republic also participated in a business seminar organized by the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce in Manama. Recognizing the important history of relations between the countries' private sectors, the leaders agreed to make efforts to bring them even closer together. In this regard, they welcomed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation between the Central Banks of Brazil and Bahrain, as well as the signing of Memoranda of Understanding between the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce and the Bahrein Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and between the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce and the Federation of Gulf Cooperation Council Chambers (FGCCC).

6. Convinced of the competence and capacity of Brazilian agribusiness to guarantee Bahraini food security, the leaders discussed the possibilities of cooperation in the area of agriculture. They agreed to establish channels of dialogue between health authorities in order to expand the access of Brazilian agribusiness products to the Bahraini market.

7. The leaders reaffirmed the importance attached to cooperation in the area of defense and expressed the desire to sign, as soon as possible, the Agreement on Cooperation in Defense, which will form the basis for joint initiatives in the area. They expressed their intention to establish cooperation in the area of Defense Products that transcends commercial aspects, also emphasizing joint initiatives in the area of research and development. Bahrain welcomed the participation of the Brazilian Navy in the Combined Maritime Forces, a multinational naval partnership based in Bahrain.

8. The President of the Republic participated in a special session of the King Hamad Global Center for Peaceful Coexistence. The leaders agreed to undertake joint initiatives under the auspices of the Declaration of the Kingdom of Bahrain, recognizing the importance of tolerance and interfaith dialogue in promoting lasting peace in the Middle East and the world. They welcomed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the King Hamad Global Center for Peaceful Coexistence and Coordination of Freedom of Religion or Belief, Conscience, Expression and Academics (COLIB), linked to the Ministry of Women, Family and Human Rights in Brazil.

9. Highlighting the importance of promoting tolerance and coexistence to advance regional stability and economic prosperity, President Bolsonaro welcomed the 2020 signing of the Abraham Accords between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the State of Israel. The Bahraini side reiterated that the Abraham Accords represent a historic opportunity that facilitates cooperation, peacemaking, and interfaith dialogue.

10. Emphasizing that mutual knowledge and bonds between societies form the best basis for a strong and resilient bilateral relationship, the leaders agreed to encourage cooperation initiatives in the areas of Culture, Education, Tourism and Sports.

11. The leaders welcomed the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding for Sports Cooperation and expressed the importance of jointly identifying priority areas for collaboration in this area.

12. They also congratulated themselves on the signing of an Agreement on Cultural Cooperation, which paves the way for the accomplishment of joint initiatives and the expansion of cooperation in areas such as conservation of cultural heritage, translation of literary works, exchange between cultural centers and museums, among others.

13. The leaders also welcomed, as a symbol of the political ties between their two countries, the signing of an Agreement on visa waiver for diplomatic and official passports, as well as a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation between Diplomatic Academies. The latter provides for the exchange of students and diplomats, including participation in their respective training programs and the exchange of information on study and research programs, courses, seminars and other academic activities.

14. They highlighted the entry into force, last August 28, of the Air Services Agreement, which opens perspectives for the regular operation of routes by airlines from both countries, expanding the interconnectivity between Brazil and Bahrain. They recognized the relevance of the instrument, which, by establishing a legal framework for bilateral air transport, will strengthen connectivity between the two countries, with benefits not only economic, but also social, as it facilitates the bilateral flow of people and goods, favoring new investments and promoting greater social and cultural interaction between our peoples. The two leaders welcomed the certificate marking Brazil’s membership in the Global-Sea-to-Air Logistics Hub and looked forward to establishing direct flights between Bahrain and Brazil in the near future.

15. As part of the process of building the legal framework for the future strengthening of the bilateral relationship, the leaders agreed to continue negotiating cooperation agreements in education, legal and legal matters, investment facilitation, and technical cooperation, among other topics.

16. Recognizing the importance of the Gulf Cooperation Council for Middle East peace and security, Brazil welcomed recent positive developments in relations between its members.