Bahrain : Under the patronage of His Highness the Deputy Prime Minister, Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, a ceremony honoring the Parliamentary Diplomacy Program was held today, in the presence of the Speaker of the Council of Representatives, Fawzia bint Abdullah Zainal, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani.
The ceremony was organized by the Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa Academy for Diplomatic Studies in cooperation with the General Secretariat of the Council of Representatives.
HH Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa delivered a speech in which he expressed his delight in patronizing the ceremony, which is one of the initiatives that stem from the goals of the reform approach of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and his interest in promoting the diplomatic role in a manner that consolidates the status of the Kingdom of Bahrain and its role in the international and parliamentary community, extending his thanks and great gratitude to His Majesty for his order to establish and name this Academy.
He also noted that this ceremony is a highlight of the existing cooperation between the legislative and executive authorities, and the complementary relationship between the official and parliamentary diplomacy.
He affirmed that the completion of this program reflects the continuous effort undertaken by the government represented by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to promote Bahrain’s parliamentary work at the local and external levels, and stresses the keenness of the Representatives to participate in its work.
He said that the cooperation between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Council of Representatives in the success of this program demonstrates the keenness of the Speaker of the Council, Fawzia bint Abdullah Zainal, to develop the role of the Council by having tools for positive interaction with the outside world and informing the Representatives of the best practices of contemporary parliamentary diplomacy and its use in their relations with their counterparts in brotherly and friendly countries to achieve national goals.
He also affirmed that he is following the remarkable efforts made by the Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani, to develop the role of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and advance the performance of its members in line with the global developments, adding that the Academy’s educational role, and its pioneering initiatives in promoting and developing diplomacy, have enabled it to be a scientific and practical center for the rehabilitation and graduation of a capable diplomatic generation.
Shaikh Mohammed also expressed his deep thanks and appreciation to the administrative body of the Academy, headed by the Executive Director Dr. Shaikha Muneera bint Khalifa bin Hamad Al Khalifa, for her efforts in developing this program and other programs, and to the ambassadors and lecturers who contributed to enriching the work of this program with their intellectual knowledge and practical experiences in order to achieve its goals and objectives.
He congratulated the graduates of the Parliamentary Diplomacy Diploma Program, expressing confidence that what they had discussed will add more to their parliamentary experience to complement and promote the efforts of the government and its various agencies in achieving the interests of the country and the citizen, defending its issues and strengthening the Kingdom’s relations with other countries of the world.
The Speaker delivered a speech in which she indicated that the Parliamentary Diplomacy Diploma Program is the first of its kind in the context of seeking to promote parliamentary diplomacy.
The program explored the best concepts, rules, procedures and practices that serve work in the field of parliamentary diplomacy, in order to achieve the national goals of the state of institutions and law under the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.
The Speaker said that in this ceremony, we celebrate the participation of HH Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, recalling his role as a pioneer of Bahraini diplomacy and its founding father, as he assumed the mission of the country’s foreign policy in the late 1960s, for thirty-seven years, and contributed to laying the first building blocks of Bahraini diplomacy, in translation of the directives of the late Amir, His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, and in compliance with the visions and directions of His Majesty the King, where parliamentary diplomacy took its leading position, and Bahrain’s position was promoted internationally under his guidance.
She extended her sincere thanks to Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani and his distinguished work team for their advanced efforts in establishing this important program.
She expressed high appreciation for the Mohammed bin Mubarak Academy for Diplomatic Studies headed by Ambassador Dr. Shaikha Muneera bint Khalifa Al Khalifa, expressing her pride in the Academy for the job it is doing in preparing diplomatic competencies capable of effectively implementing the foreign policy of the Kingdom of Bahrain.
She also expressed her thanks to the Representatives, Ambassadors, Diplomats, and all the lecturers and participants, for their keenness to enrich this program, and for the creative ideas they presented, wishing everyone success.
Dr. Al Zayani delivered a speech, in which he expressed his sincere thanks and gratitude to HH Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, for his great interest and continuous follow-up to support the efforts of the ministry, and for gracing everyone today by patronizing the ceremony.
He expressed his deep appreciation to the members of the Council of Representatives who completed the requirements of the program, for their positive and active participation, and for their keenness and interest in advancing the concept of parliamentary diplomacy, as an important pillar for supporting the foreign policy of the Kingdom of Bahrain, and promoting its regional and international standing at the parliamentary level.
He also thanked the executive management of the Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa Academy for Diplomatic Studies, headed by Ambassador Dr. Shaikha Muneera bint Khalifa Al Khalifa, for the sincere efforts made to move the Bahraini diplomat from the practice of limited traditional diplomacy to comprehensive diplomacy to keep pace with the requirements of the times.
This puts the Academy on the threshold of a qualitative development in thought and performance, and inaugurates a new phase of diplomatic work in which we are proud, expressing heartfelt thanks to the ambassadors who contributed their knowledge and experience to enriching this program, she said.
At the end of the ceremony, The Speaker and the Foreign Minister handed over the certificates to the participants and those who obtained the Diploma in the Parliamentary Diplomacy Programme.
