On February 9 the delegation headed by RA NA President Artur Baghdasaryan met with Dr. Muhammad Abd al-Ghaffar Abdallah, Minister of State For Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain in Manama. RA NA President Artur Baghdasaryan stated that Armenia has the goal to develop its relations with Persian Gulf countries and expects Bahrain’s support in joining to Islamic conference and Arab Parliamentary Union as an observer. The issue is highlighted because the Islamic conference adopted several resolutions recently on the Nagorno Karabakh problem, which seek to observe the problem from the religious viewpoint, meanwhile it has absolutely other bases and relates to the right of nations determination. The observer’s status will enable to present the real situation of the problem to the conference. The participation of the Kingdom of Bahrain to create Centre of Arabic Culture in Armenia, to which the King of Bahrain promised to support personally, was also highlighted. The factor of thousands of Armenians residing in Arab countries, who were spread throughout the world after the Genocide of 1915, the 90th year of which will be marked this year in Diaspora this year, was also noted.
Highlighting the long-waited visit, Dr. Muhammad Abd al-Ghaffar Abdallah, Minister of State For Foreign Affairs of the Kindgom of Bahrain expressed his readiness to promote the solution of all problems raised by NA President, noting that he knows Armenians quite well, history of Armenia, the problem of Nagorno Karabakh, the way of its solution he considers the peaceful dialogue between the sides. During the negotiations an arrangement was reached to develop a legal treaty base of relations between two countries and emanating from the new stage of relations, prepare necessary new memorandums and agreements.
During the meeting in the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Kingdom of Bahrain the results of the negotiations of the previous day were fixed in the atmosphere of full understanding. Noting that the history shows that the businessmen build the relations between the countries and peoples, Mr. Khalid Mohammed Kano, Chairman of the Commerce and Industry of Bahrain and the businessmen members of the chamber expressed their readiness to receive the delegation of Armenian businessmen, then to pay a visit to Armenia, highlighting the trade-economic relations with Armenia. The cooperation spheres will be differentiated after those working visits. The businessmen of Bahrain expressed their readiness to make investments in the branches of Armenian economy within their interests.
As a result of the meeting Dr. Nada Abbas Hafadh, Minister of Health of the Kingdom of Bahrain dozens of business agreements, which refer to the doctors’ training and re-training, exchange of medical staff, the exchange of joint health care experience, the development of medicine and pharmacology. By the request of Mrs. Nafadh an agreement was reached on the exchange of the legislative bases of health sphere. An agreement was also reached to shape a working group, which will be involved in the study of problems and differentiation of cooperation perspectives of both countries.
RA NA President Artur Baghdasaryan’s official visit to the State of Kuwait and Kingdom of Bahrain was widely illustrated in the press and TV of the countries: all the newspapers and TV channels thoroughly elaborated on the meetings, noting that by this visit a new page is opened in the history of relations with Armenia.
During the 11 meetings in Kuwait and 7 meetings a base of shaping the relations with new quality was put.
During the discussions with heads of the two key countries of the Arab Gulf dozens of political and economic agreements were reached, which referred to the participation of Armenia to Islamic conference and Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union as an observer. Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation agreements were concluded between two countries. An agreement was reached to review and to add the legal-treaty bases, to exchange business delegations and bolster the economic relations, important steps were made on the establishment of cooperation in the sphere of health, culture and education. An agreement was reached to open a center of Arab culture in Yerevan and a House of Trade of Armenia in the Kigdom of Bahrain.
“The distance is between the hearts but not between the roads,” the Arab high-ranking officials said and added that due to this visit the space between the hearts became smaller.
