Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister of Bahrain Shaikh Khalid Bin Ahmed Mohammed Al Khalifa on Monday urged India and Pakistan to resolve the Kashmir issue through dialogue.

He was addressing a joint press briefing with Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz at the Foreign Office. Earlier, both counterparts signed memorandums of understanding (MoUs) on diplomat training and agriculture cooperation. Khalid and Aziz also co-chaired the Pakistan-Bahrain Joint Ministerial Commission. To a question regarding OIC’s role on Kashmir, Khalid said the OIC is playing its due role on the Kashmir issue. “Our position is very clear on human rights violations either in Kashmir or in other parts of the world. Bahrain wants peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue,” he added. He said that Bahrain remained eager to strengthen the already strong Pakistan-GCC relation even further. He added that Bahrain, currently holding the chair of GCC, will make serious efforts to reinforce this important relationship, for the benefit of all sides in the region.

Khalid said that the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Pakistan is in the pipeline and looking forward on it. He said that in March the commerce minister of Bahrain will participate in Pakistan-Bahrain Business Forum in Pakistan.

Aziz said that Pakistan and Bahrain shared brotherly and historic relations. He praised the development of bilateral relations in all areas of mutual cooperation. He talked about the upgrading of the Joint Economic Committee (JEC) to the Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC). The commission will serve as a regular platform to discuss cooperation in all areas of mutual interest. He said that the visit of, King of Bahrain Hamad bin Isal Al Khalifa, in June 2014 reciprocated by the visit of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in January 2015 laid down strong foundations in bilateral relations. The adviser thanked the king of Bahrain for the generous gift of Nursing Training University to Pakistan which has become an icon of Pakistan-Bahrain friendship. The project was jointly inaugurated in Islamabad last month by Nawaz and Lt Gen Sheikh Mohamed Bin Isa Bin Salman Al-Khalifa, commander National Guards of the Kingdom of Bahrain. Aziz said that Bahraini businessmen can invest in Pakistan, especially in the energy, infrastructure and agriculture sectors. He said that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Project (CPEC) is an important project which can attract domestic and international investment. He said that Pakistan brought peace back in the country by taking action against terrorists.