Bahrain Centre for Strategic and International Studies and Energy set up

Manama: Bahrain has set up an international centre for strategic and international studies and energy tasked with monitoring, studying an analysing regional and international developments.

Bahrain Centre for Strategic and International Studies and Energy will also carry out scientific studies and research in strategic areas, international politics and energy and will cooperate with local, regional and international think tanks and organizations.

The centre, under the Supreme Defence Council, will assess indicators that could affect Bahrain’ vital political, economic, social and security interests, according to the royal order issued on Wednesday by King Hamad Bin Eisa Al Khalifa.

It will have a director of trustees and a minimum of five members appointed by the king for a renewable four-year term.

Dr Mohammad Bin Abdul Ghaffar, a former information minister and state minister for foreign affairs, was appointed by King Hamad as the head of the board of trustees.

Abdul Ghaffar also served as Bahrain’s ambassador to Washington from 1994 to April 2001. He also served as Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Bahrain to the United Nations.

Prior to that, he was delegated to the embassy of Bahrain in Jordan in 1977. He was a member of Bahrain's delegations to the United Nations from 1979 to1984, and, for the same period, served as First Secretary at Bahrain's Permanent Mission in New York.