President Nikos Christodoulides arrived in Manama today for a two-day official visit to Bahrain, marking his first bilateral trip abroad since Cyprus assumed the EU Council presidency.
The Cypriot leader received an official welcome from Bahrain’s foreign and trade ministers upon arrival, with a guard of honour present at the ceremony.
Christodoulides is scheduled to meet King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa at the Palace at midday for private talks followed by expanded discussions between the two countries’ delegations.
The president’s delegation includes the foreign and energy ministers, the government spokesman, the deputy minister to the president, the national security adviser and senior officials.
During the visit, the two sides signed nine agreements and memoranda of understanding covering military cooperation, diplomatic academy collaboration, search and rescue training, culture, tourism and higher education qualifications recognition.
Cyprus’s employers’ federation KEVE also signed a cooperation agreement with the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce.
Speaking during expanded talks between the delegations, Christodoulides emphasised the significance Cyprus’s EU presidency places on relations between the EU and Gulf countries, as well as on bilateral Cyprus-Bahrain ties.
“This visit is both symbolic and substantive, a clear reflection of our mutual determination to further strengthen our bilateral relations at all levels—political, strategic and economic,” he said, according to an official statement.
The president noted that bilateral cooperation has expanded steadily in recent years across key sectors including defence and security, trade and investment, culture, higher education, youth, shipping and tourism.
“I am also particularly pleased that this visit takes place during the first month of Cyprus’s EU Council presidency. It is, moreover, my first bilateral visit in this capacity—a clear indication of the importance we attach to our cooperation with Bahrain,” Christodoulides said.
The timing holds additional significance as Bahrain chairs the Gulf Cooperation Council this year, providing opportunities for closer cooperation at both regional and international levels, he added.
King Hamad, whose country serves as a non-permanent UN Security Council member for 2026-2027, welcomed Christodoulides and praised the longstanding ties between the two nations.
“These close relations are grounded in mutual understanding and respect, shared values and constructive cooperation,” the king said, according to the official statement.
He expressed appreciation for progress achieved across various sectors and said Bahrain looks forward to Cyprus opening an embassy in Manama and to holding a business forum between the countries’ chambers of commerce.
The king congratulated Cyprus on assuming the EU Council presidency and said Bahrain anticipates fruitful cooperation between the EU and the Gulf Cooperation Council, particularly towards completing a free trade agreement serving mutual interests.
“We commend the progress and developmental evolution of the Republic of Cyprus and appreciate its central role in Europe and the Mediterranean, as well as its principled stance on just struggles in the Arab world, such as the Palestinian issue, and efforts to facilitate humanitarian aid to the people of the Gaza Strip,” he said.
The king hosted an official lunch in honour of the Cypriot president following the talks.