MANAMA: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi held talks with Deputy Prime Minister of Bahrain Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa here on Wednesday.

During the meeting, the two sides agreed to work in close collaboration in areas of mutual interest, the foreign minister said in a Twitter posting.

The foreign minister, who arrived in Bahrain on a two-day official visit to the country earlier in the day, said that during the meeting with Bahrain’s deputy prime minister he shared Pakistan’s focus on geo-economics, connectivity and as a partner for peace and development.

Mr Qureshi also had a meeting with his Bahraini counterpart Dr Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani ahead of the Joint Ministerial Conference.

Mr Qureshi said the two countries shared a similar outlook in their desire to expand bilateral engagements with focus on trade, investment, energy and culture.

Earlier, upon arrival in Manama, the foreign minister was received at the Manama International Airport by Bahrain’s foreign minister and Pakistan’s ambassador Muhammad Ayub.

The foreign minister will attend the second meeting of the Pak-Bahrain Joint Ministerial Commission and will lead the Pakistani delegation.

He will also speak at the second meeting of the Pak-Bahrain Joint Ministerial Commission.

Pakistan and Bahrain would sign an agreement for enhancing trade and economic connectivity to boost bilateral relations, said a Board of Investment (BoI) press release before Mr Qureshi’s meeting.

The memorandum of understanding (MoU) between BoI and Economic Development Board would be signed during Mr Qureshi’s visit.

The objective of the accord is to provide a framework within both countries where it can develop and undertake collaborative activities and projects; share knowledge and have integrated technical exchange and assistance in areas of mutual interest.

The two-day meeting would focus on bilateral cooperation in various sectors including political, defence, commerce, finance and banking, industry, public health, overseas employment, higher education, science and technology, information, culture and arts, agriculture and livestock, cultural cooperation and parliamentary exchanges.

With regards to promoting trade and business development, some sectors of interest included manufacturing, financial services, tourism, healthcare and education, logistics, information and communication technology and vocational training.

Published in Dawn, July 29th , 2021