Italian ambassador lauds HM King's support as bilateral ties strengthening

Manama, June 12 (BNA): Italian Ambassador to Bahrain Domenico Bellato has lauded the progress in the relations and cooperation between the two countries, mainly over last year. "Over the last 12 months, the close and friendly relationship between Italy and Bahrain has continued to flourish," he said. "At political level, the embassy of the Kingdom of Bahrain in Rome is now a reality, and this will represent a real milestone that will no doubt boost our relations in all fields. In the last year, high-level visits of Italian officials to Manama, including for the first time the Minister of Defense and after many years the Deputy Foreign Secretary have reinvigorated our political dialogue. I would like to recall the participation for the first time of the Italian aerobatic team to the Bahrain International Airshow last year." The ambassador was speaking at the ceremony hosted by the embassy to celebrate the Italian National Day, "a day in which we commemorate the birth of the Italian Republic and Italian democracy in 1946, after the dark years of war." Italy and Bahrain also enjoy strong economic ties, the diplomat said. "In 2018, bilateral trade grew by 52%, reaching the record figure of 550 million Euro, with a great leap forward of the Bahraini export to Italy, which increased by 156%. Major Italian companies are taking part in the most important industrial projects in Bahrain, such as the modernization of the BAPCO refinery, and a new partnership has just been sealed in the energy sector for pursuing oil exploration and possible production." Bellato said that the untapped potential is still huge, considering the complementarity of the two economies, and that the two countries would jointly explore further avenues of cooperation. "In the cultural sphere, cooperation is also on the good track as testified by the beautiful cultural and artistic exhibitions recently organized in Florence and in Turin by the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities, as well as by the participation of Italian artists and musicians to the festivals BACA promotes in Bahrain," he said. Other milestones in 2018 were the launch of the first course of Italian language at a Bahraini University, hosted by the Royal University for Women, and the inauguration of the King Hamad Chair for Inter-Faith Dialogue and Peaceful Coexistence at the La Sapienza University in Rome, one of the most ancient and biggest universities in Europe, the ambassador said. "All conditions are met for our bilateral relations to make a quantum leap, counting as always on the support of His Majesty, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, HRH the Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, and HRH the Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa," Bellato said. "Bahrain is actively involved in the celebration of the Italian city of Matera as 2019 European Capital of Culture, through a rich program of initiatives entitled “From Manama to Matera”, in collaboration with the Bahrain International Federation of Business and Professional Women and UNIDO." Matera is a beautiful ancient small town in the south of Italy, full of history and traditions dating back to the age of Arab influence, and representatives of the Matera Foundation and of the region and university are currently in Bahrain for a dense program of meetings and events. The ambassador added that the Italian community in Bahrain, which found here a second home, continued to grow in 2018 and to contribute with its dedication and talents to the prosperity of the Kingdom. "Italy and Bahrain share their views on main international dossiers and on the importance of cooperation and dialogue. Italy is indeed a staunch advocate of dialogue as a mean to solve disputes and build co-existence, including in the Middle East and North Africa region, an area of unique geostrategic relevance for Italy, a region facing big challenges but which is also rich of bigger opportunities for economic, cultural and social cooperation," he said. Fighting terrorism and transnational crime, countering climate change and promoting effective multilateralism and human rights will also stay high on Italy's international agenda in the months to come, he added. Another pillar of Italy’s agenda is the strengthening of the effectiveness of the European Union as a driver of peace, stability and progress for European citizens and for the people of its neighboring regions. According to the ambassador, notwithstanding the challenges it faces, the EU remains a unique point of reference for the people of Europe and is therefore there to stay and flourish.