Foreign relations of Bahrain

Template:Short description 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 Arab 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.

Bahrain's current Minister of Foreign Affairs is Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani. 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.

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." 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. 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.

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.

File:Bahrain Saudi kings meeting.jpg

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.

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.

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."

Relations with Thailand and the Hakeem al-Araibi incident

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.

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) 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.

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. 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.

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, 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.

Diplomatic relations

List of countries which Bahrain maintains diplomatic relations with:

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

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.
France		Bahrain has an embassy in Paris. France has an embassy in Manama.
Germany		Bahrain has an embassy in Berlin. Germany has an embassy in Manama.
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, 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 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 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. 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. 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.
Iran		See Bahrain–Iran relations On 12 August 2012, Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid al-Khalifa announced that Bahrain has reinstated its Ambassador to Iran. 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". 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. 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. 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. 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. This followed the same decision by the Saudi government, after Iranian protesters set fires in the Saudi Embassy in Tehran.
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.
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. 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. 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.
Kosovo	13 March 2014	On 19 May 2009, Bahrain officially recognised Kosovo as an independent state. On 13 March 2014, Bahrain and Kosovo established diplomatic relations.
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. Malaysia has an embassy in Manama.
Pakistan		See Bahrain-Pakistan relations File:Ships during the exercise Arabian Shark '08.jpg 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. 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. Qatar also has an embassy in Bahrain. 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." In April 2023, Bahrain had restored diplomatic ties with Qatar.
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.
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.
Syria		See Bahrain–Syria relations
Turkey	4 December 1973	See Bahrain–Turkey relations Relations between Bahrain and Turkey were officially established on December 4, 1973. 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. In 2007, trade was at 186 million U.S dollars. Bahrain has an embassy in Ankara. Turkey has an embassy in Manama.
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	21 August 1971	See Bahrain–United Kingdom relations Bahrain established diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom on 21 August 1971. Bahrain maintains an embassy in London. The United Kingdom is accredited to Bahrain through its embassy in Manama. The UK governed Bahrain from 1861 to 1971, when it achieved full independence. Both countries share common membership of the World Trade Organization, as well as the Bahrain–US Comprehensive Security Integration and Prosperity Agreement. Bilaterally the two countries have a Double Taxation Agreement. Both countries are negotiating a Free Trade Agreement.
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

References

• Template:CIA World Factbook
• Template:StateDept