Adviser to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs, Sartaj Aziz on Sunday said, "Bahrain and other countries of the Gulf Co-operation Council can benefit from the opportunities offered by economic turnaround and connectivity projects in Pakistan."
He expressed these views during a meeting with Bahraini Foreign Minister, Shaikh Khalid Bin Ahmad Bin Mohammad Al Khalifa on the sidelines of 'Manama Security Dialogue - 12th Regional Security Summit', in Manama, Bahrain, said a statement issued by the Foreign Office.
During their meeting, Sartaj Aziz briefed the Foreign Minister of Bahrain on Pakistan's success in counterterrorism, which led to marked improvement in internal security, paving the way for sustained economic growth and foreign direct investment.
The two countries agreed to take bilateral co-operation in economic and trade sector to a new level by holding the Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) meeting in Islamabad next month.
Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid will visit Pakistan from 30-31 January 2017 as head of the Bahraini delegation at the inaugural JMC.
Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid appreciated Pakistan's success in counterterrorism, terming it "reversal of a cataclysmic trend" of terrorism and extremism in the world.
He welcomed the prospects of economic growth in Pakistan as a result of improved security and stated that he looked forward to his upcoming visit to Pakistan as an opportunity to lay the foundation of robust economic and trade relations between the two countries.
Adviser Sartaj Aziz and Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid also discussed the situation in the Middle East, focusing particularly on Yemen and Syria.
Aziz briefed him on the situation in Afghanistan and South Asia.
The two sides also decided to create institutional mechanism of consultations and dialogue between Pakistan and the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC). Bahrain, as current chair of the GCC, will initiate processes within the organisation to create such a mechanism.
Sartaj Aziz, concluded his two-day visit to Bahrain, where he represented Pakistan at the 'Manama Security Dialogue - 12th Regional Security Summit.'