ISLAMABAD – Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani is due in Pakistan for a two-day visit, with Islamabad preparing for key talks on trade, investment, defence and security.
Al Zayani, who is visiting Pakistan on October 7 and 8 at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, will hold high-level talks with Pakistani officials and co-chair the third session of the Pakistan-Bahrain Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) alongside Dar.
Islamabad seeks to turn its longstanding ties with Gulf partners into stronger economic partnerships, with trade, investment and economic cooperation expected to feature prominently on the agenda.
Two sides will conduct a comprehensive review of bilateral relations and explore ways to expand cooperation in trade, investment, defence, security, labour and manpower, and cultural exchanges. The discussions are also expected to go beyond bilateral ties. Dar and Al Zayani will exchange views on regional and international developments and examine opportunities for closer coordination at multilateral forums.
The visit follows preparations in Islamabad for what Pakistan hopes will be a results-oriented JMC session. Dar chaired an inter-ministerial meeting earlier this month and directed relevant ministries to finalise preparations and pursue concrete outcomes from the Bahraini minister’s visit.
Pakistan and Bahrain established the mechanism in 2014, while its second session was held in Manama in July 2021. That meeting focused on expanding cooperation in areas ranging from commerce and finance to labour, information technology, agriculture, health and investment. The latest round therefore offers Islamabad and Manama an opportunity to revive and build upon agreements and areas of cooperation identified in previous meetings.
Economic ties are emerging as a central pillar of the relationship. Bahrain has long remained an important destination for Pakistani workers, while Islamabad has been seeking greater Gulf investment in sectors including food security, information technology, construction, mining, healthcare, renewable energy and tourism.
More than 150,000 Pakistanis live and work in Bahrain, giving the labour and manpower component of the talks particular importance. Pakistan is also seeking to expand commercial engagement with the kingdom and translate longstanding political goodwill into greater investment and trade.
Defence and security cooperation will also occupy an important place during the visit, with both countries maintaining longstanding security ties.
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