Foreign Minister holds press conference with German counterpart
Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani, and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany, H.E. Mr. Heiko Maas, held a joint press conference following the formal discussions, in the presence of two delegations from the two countries.
The Foreign Minister expressed sincere condolences to the people of Germany following the recent flooding, underlining Bahrain’s sympathy for the ones affected.
He also underlined Bahrain’s appreciation for Germany’s active and constructive role in the Middle East, noting that the region and its peoples have suffered too much for too long, noting the Kingdom greatly value the work of friends such as Germany in providing support and hope to the Middle East.
He extended his appreciation to Germany for hosting the Berlin 1 and 2 conferences on Libya, renewing the call for the international community to back the transitional government in Libya, for all foreign fighters and mercenaries to leave brotherly Libya, stressing Bahrain’s support to the international efforts exerted to create the right conditions for the scheduled election on 24th December.
The Foreign Minister also highlighted the importance of the stability of Tunisia to the entire Mediterranean and Middle East region, and to Europe’s southern border, expressing hope that friends in Europe will stand with President Saied and the people of Tunisia in fighting corruption, ending political deadlock, and ensuring the country can move forward towards prosperity, stability and good governance.
He also noted that the two sides discussed Middle East Peace process, the Abraham Accords, and the need for a 2-state solution, welcoming Germany’s strong support for this process, and for the Accords themselves, which hold such potential for the region and beyond, underlining that both Bahrain and Germany are committed to fighting terrorism and extremism, and to protecting international shipping lanes.
Dr. Al-Zayani explained the progress done by the Kingdom in preparing a region-leading National Human Rights Action Plan, and the signing of a Declaration of Intent with the United Nations for cooperation in drafting the Plan, underlining that Bahrain has nothing to hide on human rights, and that it is determined to uphold the highest standards of transparency, as the best way to counter the false allegations that are made against the Kingdom.
For his part, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas welcomed Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani, expressing his pride and appreciation for the bilateral relations between Bahrain and Germany, praising the role played by the Kingdom in achieving peace in the Middle East. He also lauded the Kingdom’s signing of the declaration supporting peace, and appointing a Bahraini Ambassador to the State of Israel, affirming Germany’s support to promoting relations between the Bahrain and Israel.
The German Foreign Minister mentioned that the formal talks between the two sides addressed security issues in the region in a precise manner, and that there is a large measure of agreement between the two sides that Iran shall not acquire or develop nuclear weapons, noting that there is an expectation that Iran will return to the negotiating table in Vienna as soon as possible to discuss the Iranian nuclear file.
Regarding the situation in Yemen, he stressed the need to work to improve the level of the humanitarian situation in Yemen, noting the importance of the international community’s contributions to resolving the conflict in Yemen one step at a time, welcoming the appointment of Mr. Hans Grundberg as the United Nations special envoy for Yemen.
