Manama: Bahrain and Singapore have celebrated the 30th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic ties amid pledges to reinforce cooperation at all levels.
“Over the past three decades, our two countries have developed a close and deep friendship which, in many ways, has grown out of the many similarities between us,” Shaikh Khalid Bin Ahmad Al Khalifa, Bahrain’s foreign minister, said at the ceremony hosted by the foreign ministry in the Bahraini capital Manama.
“We share a long tradition of enterprise and commerce, and we have both sought to overcome our relatively limited size and resources through openness to the world as we extend the hand of friendship and mutual respect to our neighbours and beyond. We share a conviction of the need to uphold international law and legitimacy, and to protect fundamental rights and freedoms and perhaps most importantly, we both recognise the value of our people as our most important asset and resource, and have committed ourselves to providing high quality education, training and employment to our citizens,” he said.
Shaikh Khalid said that Bahrain and Singapore jointly developed the idea to form the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) – Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) partnership through which high-level ministerial meetings and workshops are held annually.
“In congratulating both countries, their governments and people on this historic anniversary, may I once again underline my confidence that Bahrain-Singapore relations are in fine shape, forming the basis for ever-stronger cooperation and friendship in the future,” he said.
In his speech, Masagos Zulkifli, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister for Foreign Affairs and Home Affairs, expressed pride that the Bahrain-Singapore friendship continued to grow stronger with each passing year.
“Bilateral trade increased by an astounding 325 per cent over the past 10 years to $455 million in 2014,” he said. “There is scope for greater growth, especially after the coming into force of the Free Trade Agreement between the Gulf Cooperation Council and Singapore [GSFTA]. The GSFTA provides an excellent springboard for Singapore and Bahrain businesses to increase cooperation and build business connections in our respective regions.”
Singapore companies based in Bahrain have benefited from its central location from which they have explored opportunities in the wider Gulf and MENA region, while the 20 Bahraini companies registered in Singapore have benefited from the access to the many opportunities in Asia, particularly the dynamic Southeast Asia region, he added.
“Our people-to-people linkages are also growing. In 2014, we recorded 4,113 tourist arrivals from Bahrain. This is a modest figure, but I am confident that we will receive more Bahraini tourists to Singapore. I am equally confident, especially after this visit, more Singaporeans will want to experience for themselves Bahrain’s culture and attractions. Cooperation between our officials has also expanded. To date, more than 233 Bahraini officials have attended courses organised under the Singapore Cooperation Programme in areas such as urban development, information technology and civil aviation,” he said.
Singapore has also conducted six customised protocol-training courses for officials from the Bahrain Foreign Ministry and Court of the Crown Prince.
“The personal friendships forged in these exchanges have promoted mutual understanding of each other’s experiences and best practices,” Zulkifli said.
