Bahrain and Cyprus Ink MoUs on Education, Defense, and Technology

His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, received today at Al-Qudaibiya Palace His Excellency Nikos Christodoulides, President of the Republic of Cyprus, on the occasion of his official visit to the Kingdom of Bahrain. The reception was attended by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Deputy King and Prime Minister.

Upon arrival, President Christodoulides was greeted with a formal welcome ceremony, during which the national anthems of Cyprus and Bahrain were played, and a 21-gun salute was fired in honor of the visiting dignitary. Following the ceremony, the President exchanged greetings with senior Bahraini officials, while HM the King welcomed the members of the Cypriot delegation.

King Hamad and President Christodoulides later held a bilateral meeting to review the strong ties between Bahrain and Cyprus and explore opportunities to enhance cooperation in vital sectors, particularly economic, investment, trade, cultural, and tourism fields, to benefit both nations and meet the aspirations of their peoples. The leaders also discussed key regional and international developments of mutual interest.

President Christodoulides expressed his sincere appreciation for the warm reception and hospitality extended to him and his delegation, and commended HM the King’s role in advancing the relationship between the two friendly countries. He also signed the Visitors’ Book, expressing pride in his visit to Bahrain and the opportunity to meet the King.

Following this, an expanded session of talks was held with the participation of HRH the Crown Prince and senior officials from both sides.

In his address, HM King Hamad said:

*"We are pleased to welcome Your Excellency and your accompanying delegation to the Kingdom of Bahrain as a dear friend and honored guest. This visit highlights the enduring and distinguished relations between our countries and peoples over the past 44 years, built on mutual understanding, respect, shared values, and constructive cooperation.

We look forward to the inauguration of the Cypriot Embassy in Bahrain, the Bahrain-Cyprus Business Forum, and the signing of nine agreements and memoranda of understanding covering education, culture, tourism, and information technology.

We reaffirm our commitment to broadening economic, commercial, and developmental cooperation, enhancing the role of the private sector in investment, innovation, and entrepreneurship, and increasing trade exchanges. We also congratulate Your Excellency on Cyprus assuming the Presidency of the European Union and look forward to strengthening EU-GCC cooperation and developing our strategic partnership, including a free trade agreement for our mutual benefit.

We commend the progress and development in Cyprus, its pivotal role in Europe and the Mediterranean, and its support for just Arab causes, including the Palestinian issue and humanitarian efforts in Gaza. We wish you a pleasant stay and hope this visit paves the way for further fruitful cooperation."*

President Christodoulides, in his address, emphasized the symbolic and substantive significance of his visit, noting the continuous expansion of bilateral cooperation in areas such as defense, security, trade, investment, culture, higher education, youth, maritime affairs, and tourism. He highlighted the visit’s alignment with Cyprus’ EU Presidency and Bahrain’s leadership of the Gulf Cooperation Council, creating opportunities for enhanced regional and international collaboration.

During the visit, the two sides signed a series of agreements and memoranda of understanding, including:

1. Mutual Recognition of Higher Education Qualifications – Signed by Bahrain’s Minister of Education and Cyprus’ Foreign Minister.

2. Diplomatic Academy Cooperation – Between Bahrain’s Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa Academy for Diplomatic Studies and the Cypriot Diplomatic Academy.

3. Cultural and Heritage Cooperation – Between Bahrain’s Culture and Antiquities Authority and the Cypriot Ministry of Culture.

4. Defense Cooperation – Between Bahrain Defence Force and Cyprus Ministry of Defence.

5. Search and Rescue Collaboration – Between Bahrain’s Ministry of Transport and Communications and Cyprus Joint Rescue Coordination Center in Larnaca.

6. Tourism Cooperation – Between Bahrain’s Ministry of Tourism and the Cypriot Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

7. Data Sovereignty and Technology Collaboration – Between both countries’ ministries.

8. Official Partner for Maritime and Air Freight Services – Between Bahrain’s Ministry of Industry and Commerce and Cyprus’ Ministry of Energy and Trade.

HM the King and President Christodoulides praised the signing of these agreements, highlighting their role in strengthening bilateral cooperation.

The visit concluded with a state luncheon hosted by HM King Hamad in honor of President Christodoulides and his delegation. The Cypriot delegation was headed by Bahrain’s Minister of Industry and Commerce, Abdullah bin Adel Fakhro.