Foreign relations of Bahrain

Bahrain plays a modest, moderating role in regional politics and adheres to the views of the Arab League on Middle East peace and Palestinian rights. Since achieving independence in 1971, Bahrain has maintained friendly relations with most of its neighbours and with the world community. It generally pursues a policy of close consultation with neighbouring states and works to narrow areas of disagreement.

Bahrain is a member of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC), established on May 26, 1981, with five other Persian Gulf states. The country has fully complied with steps taken by the GCC to coordinate economic development and defense and security planning. In December 1994, it concurred with the GCC decision to drop secondary and tertiary boycotts against Israel. In many instances, it has established special bilateral trade agreements.

Bahrain has been a member of The Forum of Small States (FOSS) since the group's founding in 1992. ^[1]

Bahrain's current Minister of Foreign Affairs is Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani. ^[2] Its previous foreign minister was Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, a career diplomat. Sheikh Khaled was educated in the United States, as a student he was a member of US President Jimmy Carter's 1980 presidential campaign team. His deputy was Nazar Al Baharna, a politician and business leader, who was appointed in 2006 following the victory of the biggest Shia party Al Wefaq in that year's parliamentary elections. Al Baharna was formerly a leading member of Al Wefaq.^{[ citation needed ]}

In June 2006, Bahrain was elected head of the United Nations General Assembly, and used the honour to appoint Haya bint Rashid Al Khalifa as the Assembly's president, making her the first Middle East woman and only the third woman in history to take over the post. Sheikha Haya is a leading Bahraini lawyer and women's rights advocate who took over the post at a time of change for the world body. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said of her, "I met her yesterday and I found her quite impressive. All the member states are determined to work with her and to support her, and I think she's going to bring a new dimension to the work here." ^[3] The move follows a series of appointments of women to high-profile positions in the Kingdom (see Women's political rights in Bahrain for further details).

During the Persian Gulf War in 1990–91, Bahrain was part of the coalition that fought to liberate Kuwait. Bahraini, RAF, and USAF pilots flew air strikes in Iraq from the Sheik Isa Air Base, while coalition navies operated out of Manama, the capital. Bahrain was hit by Scud missiles fired from Iraq. ^[4] A number of Bahraini students studying in Iraq and Kuwait at the outbreak of hostilities went missing and are presumed the victims of Saddam Hussein's secret police.

After the liberation of Kuwait, Bahrain and the United States strengthened their already good ties by signing a ten-year agreement in October 1991, which granted American forces access to Bahraini facilities and allowed the U.S. to pre-position war material for future crises. In July 1995 the U.S. 5th Fleet was established in the Persian Gulf with its headquarters at NSA Bahrain in Manama. In 2003, U.S. President George W. Bush designated Bahrain as a major non-NATO ally. ^[5]

Bahrain was an active member of the coalition that fought to remove the Taliban regime from Afghanistan in 2001; the Kingdom provided ships for the naval cordon in the Indian Ocean put in place to intercept fleeing Taliban and Al Qaeda fighters.

Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa I with the Saudi king Ibn Saud.

However, the Kingdom opposed unilateral action against Iraq in 2003, and to the annoyance of Washington in the run up to the war sought to defuse the crisis by offering Saddam Hussein asylum as a way of avoiding war. ^[6]

Bahrain-Iran relations have been strained since the Iranian Revolution and the 1981 discovery of a planned Iran-sponsored coup in Bahrain. Bahraini suspicions of the Iranian role in local unrest in the mid-1990s remain. However, with the decline of Iraq as a regional powerbroker, Bahrain has begun taking steps to improve relations with Iran and increase regional harmony. These efforts have included encouraging Bahrain-Iran trade. ^[7]

The long-standing territorial dispute with Qatar over the Hawar Islands and the maritime boundary were resolved in 2001 by a compromise decision of the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

To mark Mahatma Gandhi's birthday on 2 October 2007, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs co-sponsored with the Bahrain Centre for Studies and Research and the Indian Embassy a conference on the relevance of Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy for the Arab world in the 21st Century. The conference, attended by Arab and Indian academics, UN officials and diplomats discussed the Gandhi’s teaching of non-violence, austerity and spiritualism with particular reference to the Arab world today. Among the keynote speakers was leading liberal academic, Dr Abdulla Al Madani, who emphasised Gandhi’s moral vision: "Had he resorted to kidnapping, suicide-bombings, beheadings, or other barbarian means, his memory would not have remained rooted in the world's conscience. Believing that the credibility of one's action lay in setting a personal example, Gandhi began with himself. He quit his legal practice, gave up wearing Western-style clothing, and embraced a humble lifestyle by making his own clothes and living on a simple vegetarian diet. This, of course, differs from the practice of leaders of some Arab resistance movements, who urge their followers to boycott the West while savouring the Western lifestyle, products, and technology." ^[8]

Relations with Thailand and the Hakeem al-Araibi incident

Main article: Hakeem al-Araibi

Bahrain's foreign relations were put under strain and its human rights record under the spotlight when in November 2018 Bahraini footballer Hakeem al-Araibi, who had been sentenced in absentia by Bahrain to 10 years in prison for vandalising a police station in 2013, was arrested upon arrival in Thailand with his wife for their honeymoon. The footballer, who had been granted refugee status by Australia in 2014, urged the Thailand authorities not to deport him to Bahrain as he had been previously tortured in Bahrain for his political views. ^[9]

He was kept in detention in Thailand while the Australian government and many international organisations and individuals lobbied for his release, until it was announced on 11 February 2019 by the Thai Office of the Attorney-General (OAG) ^[10] that the extradition case against al-Araibi had been dropped by the criminal court at Bahrain's request. No reason was given by the foreign ministry, but the decision was made under Section 21 of the Prosecution Act, which allows for cases to be dropped if not in the public interest, and he would be released and allowed to return to Australia as soon as possible. ^[11]

During the media frenzy surrounding the case, the strong links between Bahrain and Thailand were alluded to in the press. Academics and human rights groups raised the issue of the very close ties between the two countries, both financially and between the two royal families. ^[12] According to Dr Aim Sinpeng, an expert in South-East Asian politics at the University of Sydney, the Thai and Bahraini royal families have always had a close relationship and the Bahraini royal family visits Thailand every year. Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Surapong Tovichakchaikul said in 2012 that the relationship between Thailand and Bahrain “was very close and strong” and also disclosed that the Bahrain Prime Minister was a “close personal friend” of former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and had “donated roughly $2 million of his own money” to Thailand for flood relief. ^[12]

The latest new business venture between the two countries is a new 6,700 sq. m. Thai shopping centre in Manama, set to launch in the first half of 2019 and described as an opportunity for Thai small and medium-sized enterprises to reach a huge potential market of Saudi shoppers, ^[12] said to be the biggest economic centre in Bahrain, with import and exports between the two countries expected to be worth around US$400m annually. ^{[13] [14]}

Diplomatic relations

List of countries which Bahrain maintains diplomatic relations with:

#	Country	Date [15]
1	Kuwait	19 August 1971
2	United Kingdom	21 August 1971
3	Saudi Arabia	29 September 1971
4	India	12 October 1971
5	Pakistan	14 October 1971
6	United States	14 October 1971
7	Qatar	1971
8	United Arab Emirates	1971
9	Iraq	18 January 1972
10	France	15 February 1972
11	Australia	24 April 1972
12	Japan	2 May 1972
13	Netherlands	2 May 1972
14	Yemen	13 May 1972
15	Germany	17 May 1972
16	Lebanon	29 May 1972
17	Afghanistan	1 June 1972
18	Egypt	5 June 1972
19	Jordan	10 June 1972
20	Tunisia	25 June 1972
21	Somalia	29 October 1972
22	Spain	15 November 1972
23	Sudan	4 December 1972
—	Iran (severed)	9 December 1972
24	Chad	10 December 1972
25	Canada	2 February 1973
26	Morocco	5 March 1973
27	Turkey	12 April 1973
28	Mauritania	30 April 1973
29	Greece	28 August 1973
30	Switzerland	12 September 1973 [16]
31	Italy	16 December 1973
32	Guinea	5 January 1974
33	Sweden	25 January 1974
34	Argentina	18 March 1974 [17]
35	Ireland	18 May 1974
36	Bangladesh	6 June 1974
37	Denmark	10 August 1974
38	Malta	4 November 1974
39	Niger	11 November 1974
40	Malaysia	25 November 1974
41	Finland	23 January 1975
42	Syria	23 January 1975
43	Libya	22 February 1975
44	Cameroon	20 March 1975
45	Austria	18 May 1975
46	Mexico	5 August 1975 [18]
47	Gabon	8 November 1975
48	Mauritius	12 February 1976
49	Brazil	23 February 1976
50	South Korea	17 April 1976
51	Portugal	10 July 1976
52	Lesotho	24 July 1976
53	Indonesia	1976 [19]
54	Nepal	13 January 1977
55	Thailand	15 January 1977
56	Venezuela	31 May 1977
56	Mali	6 June 1977
58	Burundi	27 June 1977
59	Ghana	9 April 1978
60	Iceland	24 May 1978
61	Philippines	27 November 1978
62	Tanzania	1978
63	Oman	13 June 1979
64	Luxembourg	14 March 1980
65	Democratic Republic of the Congo	3 June 1980
66	Belgium	2 December 1980
67	Senegal	13 December 1981
68	Cyprus	14 January 1982 [20]
69	Zambia	24 January 1983
70	Chile	6 February 1983
71	Djibouti	6 February 1983
72	Gambia	6 February 1983
73	Seychelles	4 May 1983
74	Algeria	19 November 1983
75	New Zealand	23 July 1984
76	Bulgaria	15 October 1984
77	Comoros	1984
78	Singapore	30 June 1985
79	Haiti	15 September 1985
80	Maldives	24 October 1987
81	Brunei	24 September 1988
—	State of Palestine	3 January 1989 [21]
82	Burkina Faso	25 February 1989
83	China	18 April 1989
84	Colombia	18 April 1989
85	Panama	27 April 1989
86	Serbia	31 August 1989 [22]
87	Hungary	3 March 1990
88	Russia	29 September 1990
89	Romania	10 March 1991
90	Poland	22 April 1991
91	Nicaragua	12 August 1991
92	Bhutan	6 January 1992 [23]
93	Turkmenistan	25 February 1992
94	Bosnia and Herzegovina	3 May 1992
95	Kazakhstan	28 May 1992
96	Uzbekistan	28 May 1992
97	Norway	27 June 1992
98	Sri Lanka	27 June 1992
99	Ukraine	20 July 1992
100	Croatia	18 January 1993
101	Albania	10 May 1993
102	Georgia	10 May 1993
103	Czech Republic	14 June 1993
104	South Africa	13 September 1993
105	Uganda	2 October 1993
106	Cuba	15 June 1994
107	Slovakia	22 March 1995
108	Vietnam	1 April 1995
109	Tajikistan	20 May 1995
110	Uruguay	25 May 1995
111	Ivory Coast	17 June 1995
112	Lithuania	3 July 1995
113	Eritrea	2 December 1995
114	Kyrgyzstan	9 February 1996 [24]
115	Slovenia	28 February 1996
116	Zimbabwe	27 June 1996
117	Belarus	1 July 1996
118	North Macedonia	11 September 1996
119	Armenia	15 October 1996
120	Azerbaijan	6 November 1996
121	São Tomé and Príncipe	27 October 1997
122	Mozambique	3 November 1997
123	Guyana	19 November 1997
124	Rwanda	2 March 1998
125	Mongolia	16 May 1998
126	Malawi	9 September 1998
127	Republic of the Congo	9 June 1999
128	El Salvador	16 June 1999
129	Suriname	10 November 1999
130	Ethiopia	28 November 1999
—	Holy See	12 January 2000
131	Latvia	27 March 2000
132	Ecuador	26 June 2000
133	Honduras	27 June 2000
134	North Korea	23 May 2001
135	Laos	15 December 2002
136	Moldova	7 April 2004
137	Estonia	27 April 2004
138	Cape Verde	17 March 2005
139	Liechtenstein	1 April 2005
140	Paraguay	6 May 2005
141	Eswatini	9 September 2005
142	Belize	14 December 2005
143	Costa Rica	22 September 2006
144	Antigua and Barbuda	20 October 2006
145	Andorra	4 May 2007
146	Guatemala	21 May 2007
147	Dominican Republic	22 October 2007 [22]
148	Barbados	12 March 2008
149	Cambodia	29 June 2009
150	Peru	22 September 2009
151	Montenegro	25 September 2009
152	Myanmar	10 November 2009 [22]
153	Fiji	25 September 2010 [22]
154	Bahamas	25 September 2010 [22]
155	Kenya	25 September 2010 [22]
156	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	28 September 2010 [22]
157	South Sudan	28 September 2012 [22]
158	Monaco	23 September 2013 [22]
159	Angola	26 September 2013 [22]
—	Kosovo	12 March 2014 [25]
160	Nigeria	8 April 2014 [26]
161	Kiribati	25 September 2018 [22]
162	Saint Kitts and Nevis	27 September 2018 [22]
163	Jamaica	28 September 2018 [22]
164	Palau	28 September 2018 [22]
165	San Marino	25 September 2019 [27]
166	East Timor	27 September 2019 [28]
167	Israel	11 September 2020 [29] [30]
168	Central African Republic	24 March 2022 [31]
169	Sierra Leone	8 June 2022 [22]
170	Tonga	19 September 2022 [22]
171	Federated States of Micronesia	21 September 2022 [22]
172	Solomon Islands	21 September 2022 [22]
173	Togo	21 September 2022 [22]
174	Trinidad and Tobago	21 September 2022 [22]
175	Dominica	23 September 2022 [22]
176	Madagascar	23 September 2022 [22]
177	Saint Lucia	13 December 2022 [22]
178	Samoa	27 April 2023 [22]
179	Nauru	7 May 2023 [22]
180	Papua New Guinea	1 June 2023 [22]
181	Grenada	19 September 2023 [22]
182	Benin	22 September 2023 [22]
183	Bolivia	22 September 2023 [22]
184	Vanuatu	9 February 2024 [32]
185	Equatorial Guinea	24 September 2024 [22]
186	Liberia	26 September 2024 [33]
187	Namibia	26 September 2024 [34]

Bilateral relations

Country	Formal Relations Began	Notes
Armenia		Armenia is accredited to Bahrain from its embassy in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Bahrain is accredited to Armenia from its embassy in Tehran, Iran.
India		See Bahrain–India relations India is a close ally of Bahrain, the Kingdom along with its GCC partners are (according to Indian officials) among the most prominent backers of India's bid for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, [35] and Bahraini officials have urged India to play a greater role in international affairs. For instance, over concerns about Iran's nuclear programme Bahrain's Crown Prince appealed to India to play an active role in resolving the crisis [36] Ties between India and Bahrain go back generations, with many of Bahrain's most prominent figures having close connections: poet and constitutionalist Ebrahim Al-Arrayedh grew up in Mumbai, while 17th century Bahraini theologians Sheikh Salih Al-Karzakani and Sheikh Ja`far bin Kamal al-Din were influential figures in the Kingdom of Golkonda [37] and the development of Shia thought in the sub-continent. Bahraini politicians have sought to enhance these long standing ties, with Parliamentary Speaker Khalifa Al Dhahrani in 2007 leading a delegation of parliamentarians and business leaders to meet Indian President Pratibha Patil, opposition leader L K Advani, and take part in training and media interviews. [38] Politically, it is easier for Bahrain's politicians to seek training and advice from India than it is from the United States or other western alternative. In December 2007, the Bahrain India Society was launched in Manama to promote ties between the two countries. Headed by the former Minister of Labour Abdulnabi Al Shoala, the Society seeks to take advantage of the development in civil society to actively work to strengthen ties between the two countries, not only business links, but according to the body's opening statement in politics, social affairs, science and culture. India's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs E Ahmed and his Bahraini counterpart Dr Nazar Al Baharna attended the launch. [39] Bahrain's ruler Sheikh Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa went on a state visit to India in February 2014 and has secured $450 million of bilateral trade and investment between the two nations. [40]
Iran		See Bahrain–Iran relations On 12 August 2012, Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid al-Khalifa announced [41] that Bahrain has reinstated its Ambassador to Iran. [42] On 19 July 2015, after Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei voiced support for the oppressed people across the Middle East including Bahrain, the Iranian acting chargé d'affaires Morteza Sanubari was summoned by the Bahraini Foreign Ministry over "flagrant interference". The foreign ministry handed "an official protest memorandum" to the diplomat over "statements made by Ali Khamenei against the kingdom of Bahrain". [43] On 1 October 2015 (a week after the 2015 Mina stampede), the Bahraini government recalled its ambassador from Tehran and ordered the Iranian acting chargé d'affaires to leave the country within 3 days in response to "continuing interference by Iran in the affairs of the kingdom". This comes when Bahraini authorities in Nuwaidrat (30 September) discovered a large bomb-making factory and seized a large stash of weapons and arrested a number of people suspected of having links with Iran's Revolutionary Guards. [44] Bahrain's decision to recall its ambassador comes "in light of continued Iranian meddling in the affairs of the kingdom of Bahrain ... in order to create sectarian strife and to impose hegemony and control. [45] [46] In response (on 2 October), the Iranian Foreign Ministry retaliated by releasing this statement: "The number two official in Bahrain's embassy in Tehran is persona non grata and Mr. Bassam al-Dossari must leave Iran's territory within 72 hours," the official IRNA news agency quoted a foreign ministry statement as saying late Friday. [47] On 4 January 2016, Bahrain severed diplomatic ties with Iran, accusing it of interference in Saudi internal affairs after Saudi Arabia executed prominent Shia cleric, Nimr al-Nimr for his involvement in 2011–12 Saudi Arabian protests. [48] This followed the same decision by the Saudi government, after Iranian protesters set fires in the Saudi Embassy in Tehran. [49]
Iraq		See Bahrain–Iraq relations Bahrain has an embassy in Baghdad. Iraq has an embassy in Manama.
Israel		See Bahrain–Israel relations Until September 11, 2020, there were no official relations between Bahrain and Israel and the government of Bahrain didn't recognize Israel as a state. However, Israeli citizens were allowed to enter Bahrain with the requirement of a visa. Unofficial relations began in late 2016 due to tensions with Iran and denounced the Arab League boycott of Israel. On September 11, 2020, Bahrain and Israel signed a normalization agreement thereby agreeing to recognize each other and establish diplomatic relations. On November 2, 2023, Bahrain recalled its ambassador to Israel and froze economic ties with them. [50]
Italy		Bahrain has an embassy in Rome. Italy has an embassy in Manama.
Kazakhstan		Bahrain's first ever royal visit to Kazakhstan was in April 2014, where the King met with the Kazakh president Nursultan Nazarbayev. [51] The country have signed major deals between the two countries to bolster trade and investments. Bahrain have expressed its support for the Astana Expo 2017 and have encouraged local businessmen and government sectors to take part in the prestigious event. [52] The Kazakh Government has created the Bahraini-Kazakh Business Council, unveiling plans to sign an agreement on encouraging and protecting investment, avoiding taxation and fiscal evasion. [53]
Kosovo	13 March 2014	On 19 May 2009, Bahrain officially recognised Kosovo as an independent state. [54] On 13 March 2014, Bahrain and Kosovo established diplomatic relations. [55]
Kuwait		See Bahrain–Kuwait relations Bahrain has an embassy in Kuwait City. Kuwait has an embassy in Manama.
Malaysia		See Bahrain–Malaysia relations Bahrain has an embassy in Kuala Lumpur. [56] Malaysia has an embassy in Manama. [57]
Pakistan		See Bahrain-Pakistan relations April 17, 2008: Arabian Shark '08 in process, a joint exercise between the navies of Pakistan, Bahrain and the United States, focusing on antisubmarine warfare. Bahrain and Pakistan enjoy cordial and deep ties. Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, during a visit to Pakistan, called Pakistan his second home and stated that Bahrain regards Pakistan extremely highly. [58] Joint initiatives between Pakistani and Bahraini governments have started to further their bilateral trades, which reached to $250 million in 2007. Pakistani businessmen are eyeing on Bahrain's property market while Bahrain is seeing Pakistan as a good agricultural potential investment country.
Portugal		See Bahrain–Portugal relations Bahrain was ruled by the Portuguese Empire from 1521 until 1602, when they were expelled by Shah Abbas I of the Safavid dynasty.
Qatar		See Bahrain–Qatar relations Bahrain has an embassy in Qatar. [59] Qatar also has an embassy in Bahrain. [60] In May 2017, Bahrain cut diplomatic ties with Qatar, and closed its airspace and maritime to Qatar transportations. It has also asked Qataris to leave the country, and Bahrainis to leave to Qatar. Islam Hassan argues that " the small Kingdom has been toeing the Saudi foreign policy for the past couple of years. It seems that their severing of ties with Qatar was mainly an answer to a Saudi call." [61] [62] In April 2023, Bahrain had restored diplomatic ties with Qatar. [63]
Russia		See Bahrain–Russia relations Bahrain has an embassy in Moscow. Russia has an embassy in Manama.
Saudi Arabia		See Bahrain–Saudi Arabia relations Bahrain has an embassy in Riyadh and a consulate-general in Jeddah. Saudi Arabia has an embassy in Manama.
South Korea		See Bahrain—South Korea relations On 24 June 2014, the South Korean deputy minister for multilateral and global affairs, Shin Dong-ik, met with ambassador Abdulla Abdullatif Abdullah, the undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bahrain who was on a visit to the Republic of Korea from June 22 through 24. During the meeting, the two sides exchanged ideas on ways to promote the ROK-Bahrain relations and discussed ways to work together in the field of human rights. Dong-ik and Abdullah shared the view that continued high-level exchanges are essential for the improvement of relations between the South Korea and Bahrain. [64]
Spain		See Bahrain–Spain relations Bahrain is accredited to Spain from its embassy in Paris, France. Spain is accredited to Bahrain from its embassy in Kuwait City, Kuwait.
Turkey	4 December 1973	See Bahrain–Turkey relations Relations between Bahrain and Turkey were officially established on December 4, 1973. [65] The relation between these two countries are considered positive, with trade at 78.1 million U.S dollars in 2006. Almost double then the amount then it was 2003. [66] In 2007, trade was at 186 million U.S dollars. [67]
Syria		See Bahrain–Syria relations
United Arab Emirates		See Bahrain–United Arab Emirates relations Bahrain has an embassy in Abu Dhabi. United Arab Emirates has an embassy in Manama. Bahrain's Prince Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa married Dubai's Shaikha bint Mohammed bin Rashed Al Maktoum, a daughter of the Emir of Dubai, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, on 28 September 2009.
United Kingdom		See Bahrain–United Kingdom relations Bahrain gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1971 and has since maintained diplomatic and trade relations. Bahrain has an embassy in London. United Kingdom has an embassy in Manama.
United States		See Bahrain–United States relations Bahrain has an embassy in Washington, D.C. United States has an embassy in Manama.

See also

• Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• List of diplomatic missions in Bahrain
• List of diplomatic missions of Bahrain
• Territorial disputes in the Persian Gulf
• Bahrain–European Union relations

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•  This article incorporates public domain material from The World Factbook. CIA.
•  This article incorporates public domain material from U.S. Bilateral Relations Fact Sheets. United States Department of State.