"Bahrain voice of reason, moderation in tormented region"

Manama, Oct. 8 (BNA): Bahrain stands out as a voice of reason and moderation in a tormented region, playing a constructive role, largely contributing to peace efforts and providing a singularly high level of religious tolerance, the German ambassador in Manama has said. “Under the wise leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the Prime Minister His Royal Highness Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa and the Crown Prince His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Bahrain is playing a very constructive role and stands out as a voice of reason and moderation,” Ambassador Alfred Simms-Protz said. “At a time when religion is being instrumentalized - I should say misused and abused - by almost all conflict parties for political purposes, Bahrain is successfully demonstrating a countermodel. When it comes to religious tolerance, Bahrain is second to none in the Middle East,” the diplomat said as the embassy celebrated the German Unification Day. Simms-Protz said that Germany particularly valued the contributions Bahrain is making as a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and other Arab and international fora in restoring peace and stability in conflict zones in the region, stressing that the issue was “Germany’s overriding priority in the MENA region and a goal fully shared by the GCC countries. “We are all in the same boat. Only by working closely together can we succeed in resolving these conflicts peacefully,” he said. Despite all its positive attributes, Bahrain was not spared by the dramatic events that had struck in the region, the diplomat added. “In spite of that, there is no denying that Bahrain has also been affected by the developments that are unfolding in the region. Looking at Bahrain, I often have to think of a famous quote by our famous German playwrite and poet, Friedrich Schiller, who said in his play “Wilhelm Tell”: “Es kann der Frömmste nicht in Frieden leben, wenn es dem (bösen) Nachbarn nicht gefällt” that is translated into ‘The very meekest cannot be at peace if his (ill) neighbour will not let him rest. In simpler terms: “You can’t live in peace if your neighbour doesn’t let you.” I think that describes Bahrain’s situation pretty well.” Simms-Protz said the highlight in the Bahraini-German relations in 2015 was the visit of Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen for the Manama Dialogue. “We are looking forward to welcoming her again in Bahrain in December this year. We are also expecting next week a group of three German parliamentarians who will be discussing security issues with their Bahraini counterparts. Germany is keen to expand its political and economic ties with Bahrain and to deepen the existing partnership. We are also working on a couple of high-profile cultural events in order to bring our countries closer together on an emotional level,” said Simms-Protz who entered the foreign service in 1981 and became ambassador to Bahrain in 2015. Other postings in the region include First Secretary (Press and Culture) at the German embassy in Amman (1984-1987) and Consul General of Germany in Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq (2013-2014). Simms-Protz said the German Federal Government remained committed to the goal of achieving equal living conditions in the eastern part of German “which, even 27 years after the fall of the wall, is still a work in progress.” “In particular, the economic performance of the East is not yet on the same level as that of the West. On the other hand, there is lots of good news: expenditure in research and technology is increasing, unemployment is going down, the contribution of renewable energies to energy production is higher than in the West, and the exodus mainly of young people has come to a halt,” he said. “However, all our internal problems have been eclipsed by the refugee crisis affecting Europe, and Germany in particular. Integrating the many refugees is an enormous challenge for the whole country. But fortunately, Germany is strong and stable and we are coping with this extraordinary challenge. Thanks to our functioning institutions and engaged citizens the situation has eased considerably, and the emergency shelters are emptying out. The ambassador, however, deplored the fact that while the number of refugees arriving in Germany has decreased dramatically in the current year, no progress has been made on ending the war in Syria or any of the other crises affecting the Middle East and Northern Africa. “The region is experiencing a level of disorder and human suffering not seen for a long time. Acknowledging the present state of affairs is, indeed, frustrating and depressing. But we cannot afford to give up hope. Failure is not an option. As Foreign Minister Steinmeier said in his message on October 3, diplomacy takes time and patience. The problems of the world cannot be solved overnight. Often, many painstaking, small steps are needed to find solutions.”