Pakistan-Bahrain trade ties get boost with new joint working group

Pakistan and Bahrain agreed on Thursday to set up a government-level working group to boost Pakistan-Bahrain trade and investment. Foreign ministers Ishaq Dar and Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani signed the protocol at Pakistan's Foreign Ministry after the commission's third session, aiming to strengthen economic ties across several sectors.

What did Pakistan and Bahrain agree on trade and investment?

The two countries agreed to form a Joint Working Group on Trade and Investment. It will provide an institutional mechanism for regular consultations, coordination and cooperation to expand bilateral trade and investment. The protocol also covers agriculture and food security, oil, gas and minerals, maritime affairs, information technology and telecommunications, health, education and labor.

What was discussed at the Pakistan-Bahrain Joint Ministerial Commission?

Dar, who is also Deputy Prime Minister, and Al Zayani earlier co-chaired the commission's third session. They reviewed bilateral relations and identified commercial trade, economic investment, defense cooperation, manpower exports and cultural exchanges as key areas for further cooperation.

Both sides expressed satisfaction with the positive trajectory of high-level exchanges. They reaffirmed their intention to establish structured follow-up mechanisms to streamline commercial partnerships, expand job opportunities for Pakistani workers in Bahrain and facilitate foreign direct investment between Islamabad and Manama.

Delegation-level talks concluded with agreements to strengthen security cooperation, labor exchange frameworks and financial coordination. The two ministers also reaffirmed their commitment to close coordination in multilateral forums, including the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the United Nations.

How do regional tensions affect the talks?

Al Zayani's two-day visit follows preparatory meetings held by Pakistani ministries earlier this month and bilateral discussions on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. The Joint Ministerial Commission is the main institutional mechanism for advancing economic cooperation, trade facilitation and government coordination between the two countries.

The talks took place amid regional volatility linked to the ongoing US-Iran conflict and growing maritime security concerns along Persian Gulf trade routes. Dar and Al Zayani exchanged views on international security challenges. They stressed that sustained dialogue, diplomacy and adherence to international legal norms were the only viable path to resolving regional disputes and ensuring economic stability.