A joint communique was issued today on the occasion of the visit of President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, to the Kingdom of Bahrain. It reads as follows:
Within the framework of the deep-rooted fraternal and historical ties that unite the leaderships of the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Arab Republic of Egypt and their two brotherly peoples, and in an effort to consolidate strategic cooperation and enhance integration between the two brotherly countries in various fields, an official discussion session was held between His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and His Excellency President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi during which both leaders reviewed the deep-rooted historical relations and ways to develop them in all fields to serve the interests of the two brotherly countries and peoples as well as increase the pace of economic cooperation.
The two sides were briefed on the latest developments in joint investments and trade exchange between the two brotherly countries, expressing their aspiration for further cooperation in the banking, economic and commercial fields, through the establishment of joint investment platforms and intensifying visits for economic and commercial delegations from the public and private sectors for the benefit of the two brotherly countries and peoples.
They discussed regional and international developments of common interest and the challenges facing the countries of the region. They affirmed their support for the efforts aimed at reaching lasting political solutions to all crises in the countries of the region, boosting security and stability there, coordinating joint efforts to combat terrorism and its organisations and preventing its funding and protecting the region from the dangers of activities aimed at shaking security and stability.
Regarding the Palestinian cause, the two sides stressed the need to intensify efforts to reach a comprehensive and just settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and find a real horizon for returning to serious and effective negotiations to achieve peace in accordance with the principle of the two-state solution, the relevant international legitimacy resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative, in a manner that guarantees the Palestinian people their right to establish their independent state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
With regard to the issue of the Renaissance Dam, His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa expressed Bahrain’s full support for the Egyptian water security, being an integral part of Arab water security, and urged Ethiopia to renounce its unilateral policy in connection with international rivers, and adhere to the relevant rules of international law. He stressed the importance of abandoning unilateral measures regarding the filling and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, and the necessity of negotiating in good faith with Egypt and Sudan to reach a binding legal agreement in this regard, in implementation of the presidential statement issued by the Security Council in September 2021 to avert damages caused by this project on the two downstream countries and enhance cooperation between the peoples of Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia. The Bahraini side expressed its full solidarity with the Arab Republic of Egypt in all the measures it takes to protect its national security.
The two sides affirmed their support for the international efforts to find a comprehensive political solution to the Yemeni crisis, in accordance with the approved international references and the initiative of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to end the Yemeni crisis. They stressed full support for Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council to perform its constitutional responsibilities to achieve security, stability and development in Yemen. They also asserted their support for the UN armistice agreement in Yemen and welcomed the announcement of its extension. The Bahraini side appreciated Egypt’s response to the request of the legitimate Yemeni government and the United Nations to operate direct flights between Cairo and Sana’a in support of that truce and to alleviate the human suffering of the brotherly Yemeni people.
On the Libyan issue, the two sides stressed the need to preserve the unity and integrity of the Libyan territories and the importance of reaching a purely Libyan solution, apart from any external interference, which will lead to holding the presidential and parliamentary elections simultaneously. The Bahraini side valued Egypt’s efforts aimed at restoring Libya’s security, unity and sovereignty, pointing out its hosting of the work of the Libyan constitutional course, in coordination with the United Nations, which allowed the Libyan people to chart the future of their country.
The two sides stressed the importance of supporting the role of the Libyan institutions in assuming their responsibilities. In this context, they praised the dedicated national efforts and the legitimate procedures and decisions issued by the Libyan House of Representatives, being the elected legislative body that expresses the aspirations of the Libyan people and is entrusted with enacting laws, granting legitimacy to the executive branch and exercising its monitoring role on it.
The two sides also stressed the importance of immediately starting to implement the exit of all foreign forces and mercenaries from Libya without exception or procrastination and within a specific time frame, in implementation of the Security Council Resolutions 2570 and 2571 and the outcomes of the Paris Summit, the course Berlin, the Arab League and the African Union and the mechanism of Libya’s neighboring Countries. They expressed support for the relevant efforts of the 5 + 5 Joint Military Commission as well as the preservation of the ceasefire agreement in order to preserve the security, stability and capabilities of Libya.
The two sides welcomed the upcoming summit which will be hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia between the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, Jordan, Egypt and the Prime Minister of Iraq with the US President Joe Biden. They voiced keenness on reaching fruitful results that enhance the strategic partnership between the participating countries and the USA.
The two sides agreed to support the Arab efforts to urge Iran to abide by the international principles of non-interference in the affairs of Arab countries, compliance with the principles of good neighborliness, and sparing the region all destabilizing activities, including supporting armed militias and threatening maritime navigation and international trade lines. They affirmed support for the international efforts to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon and ensure the peaceful nature of its nuclear programme, boost the role of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), maintain the non-proliferation system, and back the efforts to establish a zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East.
The two sides reviewed the latest developments in Ukraine and stressed the need for a ceasefire and to resort to dialogue and diplomatic methods to settle the conflict by peaceful means. They also affirmed support for the international efforts aimed at settling the crisis by peaceful means and providing protection and care for civilians, which will lead to maintaining security and peace in Europe and the world.
The Bahraini side congratulated the leadership, government and people of the Arab Republic of Egypt on the anniversary of the June 30 Revolution, which represented a milestone and a turning point in the history of Egypt as well as promoted the values of citizenship and moderation and the concept of the national state.
HM King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa extended sincere congratulations to the Arab Republic of Egypt on the occasion of hosting the 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27), which will be held in November 2022 in Sharm El-Sheikh.
This communique was issued in the Kingdom of Bahrain on June 29, 2022.
Source: Bahrain News Agency