Strategic Bridge

Bahrain champions Gulf-Europe partnership through research diplomacy

TDT | Manama

Email : editor@newsofbahrain.com

As Bahrain strengthens its role as a bridge between the Gulf and Europe, His Excellency Dr. Shaikh Abdullah bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Bahrain Center for Strategic, International and Energy Studies (Derasat), affirmed the Kingdom’s commitment to deepening Gulf-European partnership through knowledge and research diplomacy.

Speaking in Rome at the tenth-anniversary reception of the European-Gulf Information Centre (EGIC), H.E. Dr Shaikh Abdullah highlighted the Kingdom’s efforts, under the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and the directives of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, to reinforce cooperation with the European Union in support of regional stability, peace and sustainable development.

His Excellency praised the outcomes of HRH Prince Salman’s participation in the first EU-GCC Summit in Brussels and HRH’s visit to Italy, which reaffirmed Bahrain’s firm commitment to strengthening cooperation and friendship between the GCC states and the EU to meet shared aspirations for global peace and prosperity.

Shared priorities

The Minister noted that Gulf-European cooperation has continued to grow on the basis of shared priorities, particularly in energy security, maritime navigation, sustainable development, and green transformation. His Excellency emphasised that both sides seek to build a broader institutional framework for advanced partnerships that enhance security, stability, and prosperity at national, regional, and international levels.

H.E. Dr Shaikh Abdullah also underlined the importance of human and developmental dimensions in this partnership, citing the need to facilitate the smooth movement of people, services, and technologies between the Gulf and Europe to expand cooperation in trade, tourism, science and knowledge exchange, transport, communication, and climate change initiatives.

Think-tank diplomacy

Highlighting Derasat’s role in advancing these goals, His Excellency affirmed the centre’s commitment to building partnerships and exchanging expertise with leading European institutions such as EGIC. His Excellency described research and think tanks as vital platforms that support mutual understanding, strategic dialogue, and informed policymaking across political, security, economic, and environmental fields.

The event in Rome was attended by senior Italian officials, GCC ambassadors, academics, and international researchers, reflecting the growing importance of Bahrain-led initiatives in promoting global dialogue through research and innovation.