Saudi Arabia and Bahrain today issued a joint statement at the conclusion of the official visit of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Defense, to Bahrain. Following is the text of the statement: Emanating from the solid historical relations and close fraternal bonds and ties of kinship that unite Saudi Arabia and Bahrain and based on the directives of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia paid an official visit to Bahrain on 9-10/12/2021. His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of the Kingdom of Bahrain and His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense of the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, held official talks attended by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister. The two sides reviewed the solid historical relations and means to develop them in all fields and to enhance the interests of the two countries and their citizens. The two leaders also discussed the latest developments in the region and stressed the unity of the stances towards all regional and international issues and developments of common interest, and for the interest of the two countries and peoples, and in service of the regional and international security and peace. The two sides emphasized the Al-Ula Declaration issued on January 5, 2021, which stipulated the full implementation of the vision of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, which was approved by the Supreme Council at its 36th session in December 2015 according to a timetable and careful follow-up, including completing the elements of economic unity and the joint defense and security systems, coordinating positions in a way that enhances the solidarity and stability of the GCC countries and enhances their regional role through unifying political positions, developing political partnerships with the international community, regional and international organizations, and cohesion of the GCC states and unity among its members. The two sides exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual concern and vowed to coordinate their positions to serve their interests and enhance security and stability in the region and the world, reiterating their support for achieving peace in the Middle East, and the importance of reaching a comprehensive settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict per the two-state solution, relevant international legitimacy resolutions, and the Arab Peace Initiative, in a way that guarantees the right of the Palestinian people to establish their independent state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. Concerning the Yemeni issue, the two sides praised the consensus of their views on continuing their efforts to find a comprehensive political solution to the Yemeni crisis, based on the Gulf initiative and its executive mechanism, the outcomes of the comprehensive national dialogue conference, and UN Security Council Resolution No. (2216) to preserve the unity, safety, sovereignty and independence of Yemen, rejecting any attempt to interfere in its internal affairs. They also condemned the Houthis' continued targeting of airports, civil objects, and vital facilities in Saudi Arabia. On the Iraqi issue, the two sides also welcomed the success of the electoral process in Iraq and expressed their wishes for the formation of an Iraqi government that would continue working for the security, stability, and development of Iraq, and eradicate terrorism and stop foreign interference in its internal affairs. They also welcomed the understandings reached by the parties to the transitional phase in Sudan, and stressed their continued support to achieve security and stability in Sudan, expressing their wishes to Sudan and its people for stability and prosperity. On the Lebanese issue, the two sides stressed their keenness on the security, stability, and territorial integrity of the Lebanese territories and the importance of carrying out comprehensive reforms to ensure that Lebanon overcomes its crises and confines arms to the legitimate state institutions, that Lebanon does not become a launching pad for any terrorist acts or an incubator for terrorist organizations and groups that target the security and stability of the region such as the terrorist Hezbollah, or a corridor for drug trafficking that threatens the safety of societies. With regard to Syria, the two sides affirmed that a political solution is the only solution to the Syrian crisis, and expressed, in this regard, their support to the efforts of the United Nations and its Special Envoy to implement the relevant international resolutions, including the UN Security Council Resolution No. 2254, and to stop regional interventions and projects that threaten the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria and vowed to continue to stand by the Syrian people and stressed the need to support international humanitarian efforts in Syria. Concerning Libya, they stressed the importance of reaching a political solution to the Libyan crisis as per the resolutions of international legitimacy, in a way that preserves the interests of the Libyan people and the territorial integrity of Libya and enhances security and peace in the region. They also underlined the need to withdraw mercenaries, foreign fighters, and foreign troops from Libya. On Afghanistan; the two sides stressed the need to support security and stability in Afghanistan and to ensure the nonexistence of safe havens for terrorists and extremists and condemned any acts aimed at recruiting Afghan refugees in the various conflict areas and expressed the importance of supporting relief efforts and humanitarian work in Afghanistan. In this regard, the Bahraini side appreciated the Kingdom's invitation to the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) to convene extraordinary ministers meeting to discuss the situation in Afghanistan, which will be held in Pakistan on December 19, 2021. They also stressed the importance of cooperation and dealing seriously and effectively with Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs with all its components and repercussions in a way that contributes to achieving regional and international security and stability, emphasizing the principles of good neighborliness and respect for UN resolutions and international legitimacy, and sparing the region from all destabilizing activities, calling in this regard on the concerned parties to take into account the interests, security, and stability of the countries of the region. The two sides affirmed their determination to strengthen cooperation on all political issues and formulate common stances that preserve their security and stability, and the importance of continued coordination and consultation regarding developments in all bilateral and multilateral forums, in a way that contributes to achieving security, stability, and prosperity for the two countries and their citizens as well as the peoples of the region and the world at large. During the visit, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Bahrain cochaired the 2nd meeting of the Saudi-Bahraini Coordination Council, which was also attended by the members of the Council from both sides, during which the two sides reviewed the distinguished results that have been achieved through the meetings of the council's sub-committees, and expressed satisfaction with what was accomplished during the preparations for the meeting of the 2nd session to achieve its goals. In this context, several initiatives have been launched which will contribute to strengthening consultation and continuous coordination between the two countries foreign ministries, coordinating positions to counter extremist ideology, especially among young people in the two kingdoms, implementing joint courses for young diplomats, and enhancing consular communication and cooperation between both sides. In the security and military affairs, the two sides expressed satisfaction with the existing cooperation between the two countries and stressed sustaining cooperation to enhance joint work. In this regard, the two sides launched several initiatives that would enhance cooperation, coordination, and consultation in security and military cooperation, as well as enhancing cooperation in Cyber security and facilitating the procedures for the movement of goods and trucks across the borders, in addition to facilitating the procedures for the transit of travelers through air and land ports, networking and electronic linking between the concerned authorities in the two countries in various fields. In the fields of energy and climate change, the two sides praised the close cooperation between them, and the successful efforts of the OPEC Plus countries aimed at stabilizing the global oil markets and stressed the importance of continuing this cooperation, and the need for all participating countries to adhere to the OPEC Plus agreement. They also welcomed cooperation in the oil and gas sector and the exchange of expertise in this field and agreed to enhance ways of cooperation on international climate policies, and act to focus on emissions rather than sources, through the application of the circular carbon economy approach, and the "Middle East Green initiative", and seeking to establish a regional complex for carbon capture, use, and storage, to contribute to addressing carbon emissions in an economically sustainable manner, in addition to cooperation in hydrogen, developing technologies related to its transportation and storage, and exchanging expertise to implement best practices in the field of hydrogen. The two sides also expressed aspiration to enhance cooperation in the fields of energy efficiency and renewable energy, and clean technologies for hydrocarbon resources, and to develop related projects in these fields, to contribute to the sustainability of demand for energy supplies globally, reiterating the importance of enhancing the trade exchange of electric energy, benefiting from the electrical connection and exchanging expertise in energy sector projects, cooperating to stimulate innovation, applying emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence in the energy sector, and developing its incubating environment. Economically and commercially, the two sides stressed the importance of strengthening and developing economic ties to serve common interests and increase economic cooperation. In this context, the two sides launched several initiatives that cover joint industries, projects to import materials needed for infrastructure work, inter-trade, and various areas of standardization, in addition to the strategic partnership in intellectual property and technical cooperation in conformity assessment procedures for biodegradable plastic products. In the financial sector, Saudi Arabia affirmed its support for Bahrain's Financial Balance Program and welcomed the efforts made by the Bahraini Government in implementing the program. The Bahraini side welcomed the Saudi Public Investment Fund's plans to invest $5 billion in Bahrain. The two sides discussed a package of major investment projects in Bahrain, and the Council assigned the concerned ministers from both sides to coordinate to complete detailed and technical studies during 2022 in preparation to make final decisions by the Council. Concerning the culture, media, tourism, and social development, the two sides stressed the importance of highlighting the positive image of both countries and strengthening and developing cooperation in these areas to consolidate and strengthen joint work, and in this context, several initiatives were launched which included boosting cooperation in educational, sports, cultural, health, and entertainment sectors, in addition to media cooperation and coordination. The initiatives also included working to unify the measures related to (Covid-19) applications, tests, and vaccines to facilitate travel between the two countries, in addition to tourism, youth, social development, and the exchange of expertise in the non-profit organizations and means to develop them in both countries. They also emphasized enabling and enhancing investment opportunities between the two countries in the environment, infrastructure, and priority sectors to achieve the council's objectives and to strive towards qualitative investments and value-added initiatives. The Council directed the relevant committees to expedite the completion of the necessary studies related to the land connection and the railway network between the two countries. In this regard, the two sides launched various initiatives dealing with the telecommunications and information technology sectors, the environment and infrastructure, and the promotion of investment in various sectors. Bahrain has also expressed its full support for the Saudi Green and Middle East Green initiatives. On the sidelines of the visit, several memoranda of understanding were signed in cybersecurity, protection of intellectual property rights, standardization, and procedures for conformity assessment of biodegradable plastic products. At the conclusion of the visit, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Defense of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia expressed his thanks and appreciation to the Bahraini King His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and to His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa , the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain for the warm reception, great and generous hospitality He and the accompanying delegation have received during their stay in Bahrain. His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, also expressed his best wishes to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and to the Saudi people further progress and prosperity.
