Foreign Minister holds press conference with German counterpart

Berlin, Aug.11 (BNA): Foreign Minister Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani and his German counterpart Heiko Maas, held a joint press conference following the formal discussions, in the presence of two delegations from the two countries. Dr Al Zayani expressed sincere condolences to the people of Germany following the recent flooding, underlining Bahrain’s sympathy for the ones affected. He underlined Bahrain’s appreciation for Germany’s active and constructive role in the Middle East, noting that the region and its peoples have suffered too much for too long. He said that Bahrain greatly values the work of friends such as Germany in providing support and hope to the Middle East. He extended his appreciation to Germany for hosting the Berlin 1 and 2 conferences on Libya, renewing the call for the international community to back the transitional government in Libya, for all foreign fighters and mercenaries to leave brotherly Libya. He reiterated Bahrain’s support to the international efforts exerted to create the right conditions for the scheduled election on 24th December. He highlighted the importance of the stability of Tunisia to the entire Mediterranean and Middle East region, and to Europe’s southern border, expressing hope that friends in Europe will stand with President Kais Saied and the people of Tunisia in fighting corruption, ending political deadlock, and ensuring the country can move forward towards prosperity, stability and good governance. He also noted that the two sides discussed Middle East Peace process, the Abraham Accords, and the need for a 2-state solution, welcoming Germany’s strong support for this process, and for the Accords themselves, which hold such potential for the region and beyond, underlining that both Bahrain and Germany are committed to fighting terrorism and extremism, and to protecting international shipping lanes. Dr. Al-Zayani outlined Bahrain’s progress preparing a region-leading National Human Rights Action Plan, and the signing of a Declaration of Intent with the United Nations for cooperation in drafting the Plan. He said that Bahrain has nothing to hide on human rights, and that it is determined to uphold the highest standards of transparency, as the best way to counter the false allegations that are made against the Kingdom. For his part, Heiko Maas welcomed Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani, expressing his pride and appreciation for the bilateral relations between Bahrain and Germany. He praised the role played by the Kingdom in achieving peace in the Middle East and lauded the signing of the declaration supporting peace, and appointing a Bahraini Ambassador to the State of Israel, affirming Germany’s support to promoting relations between Bahrain and Israel. He pointed out that the formal talks between the two sides addressed security issues in the region in a precise manner, stressing joint agreement to a large extent that Iran shall not acquire or develop nuclear weapons. The German minister said that Iran is expected to return to the negotiating table in Vienna as soon as possible to discuss the Iranian nuclear programme. Regarding the situation in Yemen, he stressed the need to work to improve the level of the humanitarian situation in Yemen, noting the importance of the international community's contributions to resolving the conflict one step at a time. He also welcomed the appointment of Hans Grundberg as the United Nations special envoy for Yemen.