Russia and Bahrain Look to Intensify Cultural and Humanitarian Cooperation
Advisor to the Russian President Anton Kobyakov held a meeting in Moscow with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the Russian Federation Ahmed Al-Saati, during which the two officials discussed a wide range of issues concerning economic, cultural, and humanitarian cooperation between the two countries and reached a number of agreements.
In particular, the Roscongress Foundation and Albayan Media Group signed a cooperation agreement under the patronage of the Russian and Bahraini embassies to intensify the mutual integration of the two countries’ congress and exhibition industries and to promote Russian-Bahrain business initiatives.
“Partnerships can only be strengthened through the development of joint projects and should be based on mutual respect for national values and an understanding of the equal rights of the parties involved in the dialogue. We see confirmation of this position during international events of various types – from cultural to major business events. The cooperation agreement that has been signed to organize business events and mutually promote the cultural and humanitarian values of Russia and Bahrain will certainly contribute to a professional discussion of issues in priority areas of interaction between our countries,” Kobyakov said.
Per the agreement, in 2024, a government delegation from Bahrain, accompanied by a business mission from the state, will attend the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), which will be held on 5–8 June. In September 2024, a delegation from Bahrain will take part in the Eco Altai: Thread of Nature International Forum. The joint work between the two nations will focus on discussing and promoting bilateral projects in tourism. In addition, they plan to pay special attention to food security issues on the sidelines of the SPIEF. In December 2024, a Russian business mission will pay a visit to Manama to take part in a business forum.
“Openness to dialogue is a key component of the successful implementation of joint initiatives. Relying on national traditions and mutual respect are an integral part of strong cross-cultural communications. Cooperation between the Kingdom of Bahrain and Russia, which is manifested not only through the implementation of investment projects, but also based on the professional work of the Roscongress Foundation in terms of creating communication opportunities on key economic issues, is the key to direct and effective cooperation for the benefit of the development of our countries,” Al-Saati said.
Another major event in the near future will be the Women’s Forum, which will be attended by leading businesswomen from the Gulf countries with the support of the Bahraini government. Moreover, a joint ethnocultural exhibition titled Arab Village as part of the Falcon Day International Forum on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) in autumn 2024 will focus on the traditions of Arab countries and the development of cultural ties with Russia.
One important aspect of such cooperation is Bahrain’s accession to the Framework Declaration of Intentions for the Conservation of the Gyrfalcon. The document was initiated by Russia and has been adopted by China, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and the UAE as part of the Falcon Day International Forum at the 8th EEF in 2023. This year, joint events at the Kamchatka Falcon Centre in Russia’s Far East and the Bahraini capital of Manama will serve as a key result of Bahrain’s participation in the Falcon Day International Forum and its accession to the international falcon initiative.
In addition, Russia and Bahrain plan to set up a project office on the basis of the Roscongress Foundation in order to coordinate the interaction of business entities in the two countries. Its main job will be to provide advisory support for joint trade and economic initiatives and the work of business missions on the sidelines of the Foundation’s events.
