MANAMA: The state visit by His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, to Bahrain marks a significant chapter in the history of diplomatic relations between Malaysia and the kingdom, being the first such visit since 1974.
Malaysia’s Ambassador to Bahrain Datuk Shazryll Zahiran said the three-day visit was at the invitation of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain.
“The strong friendship between both nations strengthens diplomatic ties, and the close relationship between the two heads of state will open up more opportunities in economic development and diplomatic relations, as Malaysia has been actively involved in development projects in Bahrain.
“For example, Malaysia was involved in the construction of the Bahrain International Circuit as well as major buildings such as the Bahrain Commercial Centre and one of the main bridges in Bahrain,” Shazryll said.
He said the close bilateral ties are expected to attract more Malaysian investments in Bahrain, particularly in the development, health, education and diplomatic training sectors.
“Bahrain’s network of connections enables Malaysia to strengthen its economy by using Bahrain as a gateway to markets in the Middle East.
“At the same time, with Bahrain being part of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the recent Asean-GCC Summit and Asean-GCC-China Summit in Malaysia, it shows that Bahrain plays an important role in strengthening and expanding economic cooperation between Asean and the GCC,” he said.
Shazryll said Sultan Ibrahim’s visit will also pave the way for enhanced cooperation in education and tourism.
“Previously, there were about 300 Bahraini students in Malaysia, but the number has dropped slightly. However, we are looking at increasing the numbers again with the proposed introduction of new connectivity between Malaysia and Bahrain,” he said.
On preparations for the arrival of His Majesty, Shazryll said cooperation between Malaysia and Bahrain had gone smoothly, and King Hamad himself had personally selected a special and unique programme for Sultan Ibrahim as a gesture of friendship between the two monarchs.
