‘Joint efforts key to regional peace’

“The partnerships contribute to developing regional industrial sectors on a global scale and enhancing the capacity of supply chains between member states,” said the Crown Prince and Prime Minister.

The deals came as the Crown Prince and Prime Minister and Dr Bisher Al-Khasawneh, the Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of Jordan, co-chaired the fifth session of the Bahraini-Jordanian Coordination Council meeting at Gudaibiya Palace.

The fifth Coordination Council Meeting, HRH said, is critical to enhancing cross-sector cooperation between the private sectors of both countries. Yesterday’s deals spanned trade and commerce, labour and vocational training, healthcare, youth, education, information, and sea and air freight services.

The agreements, HRH said, aim at expanding cooperation and coordination to meet shared aspirations and goals. His Royal Highness and Dr Al Khasawneh also acknowledged the importance of joint efforts and cooperation in addressing and overcoming challenges and achieving common aspirations.

The meetings, His Royal Highness said, play a crucial role in furthering the deep-rooted Bahrain-Jordan bilateral ties, in line with the visions and aspirations of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and the King of Jordan, His Majesty Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein. Discussions also stressed the importance of joint efforts to support regional peace and tolerance and support the private sector in boosting trade volume.

The meeting also called for reaching a just solution for Palestinian people following the two-state solution with East Jerusalem as its Capital while stressing the role of Jordan in protecting the Islamic and Christian sanctities in Jerusalem.

The two sides further stressed the role of Jerusalem in managing the affairs of Al Aqsa Mosque and Al Haram Al Sharif while rejecting all measures targeting Christian presence in the occupied East Jerusalem and changing the historical and legal status there.

The meeting also renewed support for Iraq and praised Bahrain’s accession to the complementary Industrial Partnership Initiative with the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Jordan. The leaders also agreed to convene the sixth edition of the Bahraini-Jordanian Coordination Council meeting in Jordan at a date to be announced later.

His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, then held a lunch banquet in honour of Dr Bisher Al-Khasawneh and the accompanying delegation. Earlier yesterday, Joint Ministerial Committee between Bahrain and Jordan held its preparatory meeting for the fifth session of the Joint Higher Committee.

Foreign Affairs Minister, Dr Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, headed Bahrain’s delegates, while Industry, Trade and Supply Minister and Labour Minister, Youssef Al Shamali, led Jordan’s delegates. The deals Yesterday’s deals included an executive programme for cooperation in the youth field between the Bahraini government and Jordan from 2023 to 2025.

The Minister of Youth Affairs, Rawan bint Najeeb Tawfeeqi, and Minister of Youth Affairs and Jordanian Minister of Interior, Mazen Al-Faraya, signed the deal.

Other include: deal to enhance cooperation in the labour field by the Minister of Labour Jameel bin Mohammed Ali Humaidan and his Jordanian counterpart Yousef Mahmoud Al-Shemali, the Chairman of the Social Security Corporation; a deal for exchanging expertise to enhance healthcare services by Health Minister Dr Jaleela bint Al Sayyed Jawad Hasan and her Jordanian counterpart Dr Feras Al-Hawari; a deal by Education Minister Dr Mohammed bin Mubarak Juma and Jordanian Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education Dr Azmi Mahmoud Mahafzah for the Executive Programme for Education Cooperation, amongst others.