Bahrain's Ambassador to France holds press conference

Paris, Feb. 28 (BNA): The Ambassador of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the Republic of France, Dr. Mohammed Abdulgaffar, met today with members of the Foreign Journalists Association of the French Foreign Ministry as part of the periodic meetings the embassy has been accustomed to hold with media and social sides in France. He stressed the significance of interaction with the journalists and people in charge of other media channels, hailed their role and reviewed with them the situation in the Kingdom of Bahrain and the royal reform plan of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa which has been progressing at political, economic and social levels since it was launched in 2000. Dr. Abdulgaffar also talked to the present journalists about the parliamentary and municipal elections in the Kingdom of Bahrain as well as the role being played by Bahrain women who can participate in national elections as voters and candidates. He also underlined women’s key role in economic growth which has been highlighted in a report recently issued by the International Labor Organization (ILO) which placed Bahrain at the forefront of world nations in terms of rapid growth of women’s participation in economic activities. The Ambassador also affirmed the need to promote culture, openness and tolerance, the very factors for which Bahrain has been known throughout history and which made of it stand as an exemplary model of co-existence among its social spectra. Dr. Abdulgaffar also talked about the imminent threat of Iran’s expansionist policy which has opted for sectarian-based divide of the region’s communities. He answered the questions posed by the present journalists which in a large part were centered on the latest developments in the Kingdom of Bahrain and the region.