The Kingdom of Bahrain’s efforts to promote the culture of religious tolerance and peaceful coexistence among nations, and support for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been acclaimed by the foreign ministers of the member states of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Coordinating Bureau.
The kingdom’s efforts were praised in the final statement issued by the Ministerial Meeting of the NAM Coordinating Bureau, hosted by Azerbaijan on July 5-6.
Azeri President, Ilham Aliyev, foreign ministers of NAM member states and representatives of observer countries and organisations attended the opening session of the meeting.
Ankara-Resident Bahraini Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Dr. Ibrahim Yousif Al-Abdulla, led the kingdom’s delegation, which also included Ambassador Fatima Abdulla Al-Dhaen, the Chief of Asian and Pacific Sector, and Hamad Waheed Sayyar, the Acting Chief of the Organisations Sector, at the Foreign Affairs Ministry.
Addressing the NAM Bureau Ministerial Meeting, Ambassador Dr. Ibrahim Yousif Al-Abdulla, affirmed the kingdom’s belief in the importance of the role of the Non-Aligned Movement in promoting joint action to end wars and settle regional and international differences and disputes by peaceful means, foremost of which is advancing the just, comprehensive and lasting peace process in the Middle East, and supporting the rights of the Palestinian people to establish their independent state, with its capital. East Jerusalem, according to the Arab Peace Initiative and the two-state solution.
He reviewed the successes of the kingdom, under the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and thanks to the directives of the government, led by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, in achieving SDGs.
In this regard, he highlighted Bahrain’s efforts to overcome the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic by providing sustainable high-quality health and treatment services for all, launching a comprehensive package of financial and economic programmes to support the most affected individuals and sectors without discrimination.
He also highlighted Bahrain’s launch of an integrated Economic Recovery Plan, in addition to its humanitarian initiatives to provide medical and relief aid to the affected countries.
He highlighted Bahrain’s appreciation for the positive regional developments, including the continuation of the humanitarian truce in Yemen, the return of Syria to the all-inclusive Arab League and the resumption of the Saudi-Iranian diplomatic relations.
He also stressed Bahrain’s call on the International Community to carry on its commitment to strengthening security and stability in Yemen, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Sudan, Libya and Afghanistan, as well as to ensure the success of international mediation efforts to achieve peace between the Russia and Ukraine on the basis of mutual respect, the principles of good neighbourliness, respect for international law, state sovereignty, stability, territorial integrity and religious and cultural values, non-interference in countries’ domestic affairs, and the creation of a stable environment to meet the challenges of effective development.
The communiqué of the NAM Bureau Ministerial Meeting also praised the Declaration of the Kingdom of Bahrain issued by the International Conference “Civilizations in the Service of Humanity” held in Manama.
The foreign ministers of NAM member states also commended the conferences and events hosted by Bahrain in the field of interfaith dialogue and peaceful coexistence, including the 2022 Bahrain Dialogue Forum: “East & West for Human Co-existence”, attended by His Holiness Pope Francis, Pontiff of the Catholic Church and His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, and a great number of senior religious leaders, confirming the kingdom’s status as a pioneering in promoting rapprochement among cultures, and enriching interaction among followers of various religions.
They also lauded the role played by the King Hamad Global Centre for Peaceful Coexistence in promoting tolerance among peoples, praising the Centre’s achievements, including the establishment of the King Hamad Chair for Interfaith Dialogue and Peaceful Coexistence at the Italian Sapienza University.
NAM member states’ foreign ministers also stressed the importance of involving youth in the process of implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including the preparation and implementation of national development policies.
The final statement of the Ministerial Meeting of the NAM Coordinating Bureau affirmed the importance of the King Hamad Youth Empowerment Award to Achieve SDGs, as a global award and one of the pioneering initiatives in the field of youth empowerment and skills development launched by the kingdom in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme.
Source: Bahrain News Agency