interview Bahrainthismonth.com 16 January 2024 Bahrain and Pakistan enjoy a long-standing diplomatic partnership, with the South Asian nation being one of the first to establish relations in the Kingdom in 1971. Kristian Harrison spoke to the Ambassador of Pakistan to the Kingdom of Bahrain, HE Saqib Rauf, about his diplomatic career and his plans to bolster ties between the two nations. Your Excellency, thank you for sitting down with us! Firstly, can you give us an overview of your career journey to date? I joined the diplomatic service of Pakistan after completing my Master’s in Economics from the University of Sindh. Along the way, I did another Master’s in Diplomatic Studies and Public Administration from the Australian National University. In my foreign assignments, I’ve served in New York, Tehran and Brussels. I spent one year in Italy as well for my language learning module. What are your initial impressions of Bahrain now that you’ve had a little time to settle in? I’ve been in Bahrain for two months now. I must say it is one of the most hospitable countries that I’ve seen. The people are very warm, polite and highly educated. Bahrain has a welldeveloped physical and industrial infrastructure and is taking serious steps to stay ahead of the curve by focusing on emerging fields of artificial intelligence and cyber security. This reflects the visionary leadership of HM King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister. Bahrain and Pakistan have a long and strong diplomatic relationship. How proud do you feel to be one of the custodians of this relationship and what are your immediate plans to bolster ties through 2024? Pakistan was one of the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with Bahrain. The relations between our people, however, go centuries back. We share a number of similarities in our language and culture. For me, it is a great honour to act as a bridge between our two countries. This is a serious responsibility, but the ambassadors have a very elaborate network of support from their colleagues in the diplomatic circle. So with the cooperation of my team at the embassy, our colleagues in Bahrain’s Embassy and Consulate General in Pakistan and our Ministries of Foreign Affairs, we strive to perform this responsibility. In 2024, according to the vision of our leadership, we plan to take stock of what we have achieved so far and how we can build further on our existing ties. Once this plan of action is discussed and agreed at the start of the year, we hope to work towards implementing this plan. This was something which was suggested by diplomat par excellence, Foreign Minister HE Abdullatif bin Rashid al-Zayani. What are the longer-term goals you wish to achieve by the end of your tenure in Bahrain? I believe in building things gradually. At the moment, we have identified some concrete proposals, which are under discussion. These cover cooperation in various fields ranging from economic and trade cooperation, law and order and issues related to Pakistani labour. I am sure these discussions will lead to some fruitful outcomes and pave the way for further cooperation. What is the current state of relations between Bahrain and Pakistan? What are some of the key areas of cooperation between the two countries? Our two countries have close political, commercial and defence relations. There is regular interaction between our respective leaderships. We have a large community in Bahrain, which is generously hosted PROPELLING DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS
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