Cairo: Bahraini and Israeli officials have discussed boosting cooperation between the two countries during a visit by an Israeli economic delegation to Manama amid growing bilateral ties as part of a historic peace treaty.
Bahraini Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism Zayed Bin Rashid met Wednesday board chairman of the Israel Export and International Cooperation Institute Adiv Baruch and members of the visiting economic team, Bahrain’s news agency BNA reported.
The meeting, attended by senior officials from both sides, was the first of its kind between both countries since Bahrain and Israel signed the Declaration of Peace on September 18, according to BNA.
The Bahraini minister said that such meetings and economic developments in the Bahraini-Israeli relations will open the door for trade exchange and enhance prospects for bilateral investment cooperation, BNA reported.
Common interests
“This meeting marks the start of a strategy to boost joint cooperation fulfilling common interests within peace between the two countries,” Zayed said, according to BNA.
The two sides reviewed aspects of cooperation and joint work that “will reflect positively” on economies of the two countries, mainly in trade, industrial and tourism sectors, the agency said.
They agreed that the region is poised for such a major boom in different economic fields that it will lead to an increase in trade exchange and attract joint foreign investments.
Both sides voiced interest in more private sector cooperation in the two countries and initiate mutual visits and joint projects.
In mid-September, Bahrain and Israel signed a US-mediated peace pact in Washington.
Last week, Bahrain and Israel said they would open embassies in each other and launch weekly flights between them during a visit by Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al Zayani to Israel, the first such trip by a Bahraini official.
