Rome, September 29 /BNA/ – During the official visit of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain, to the friendly Italian Republic, His Highness met with Her Excellency Giorgia Meloni, Prime Minister of the friendly Italian Republic, on September 29, 2025.

The two sides agreed on the following:

Italy and Bahrain reaffirm their commitment to strengthening and expanding the strong cooperation existing between the two countries across all sectors, based on their shared goals and mutual interests.

The parties welcomed the signing of a strategic cooperation and investment partnership, which will enhance economic relations by increasing bilateral trade and investments by more than one billion euros.

Italy and Bahrain confirmed their keenness to enhance the vital defense partnership between them on both military and industrial levels. Italy expressed its gratitude to Bahrain for hosting the Italian naval unit within the joint naval forces.

The two sides agreed to increase cooperation in energy security and energy transition through a technologically neutral approach, focusing on industrial cooperation, research and development, diversifying energy sources, environmental transition, cooperation in water management, and waste-to-energy conversion, in addition to involving the public and private sectors in both countries.

Italy and Bahrain will also strengthen their cooperation in construction, transportation, tourism, and smart cities, including housing and urban planning, aiming to explore more opportunities for Italian companies to contribute to developing and expanding modern infrastructure in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

The two sides will seek to enhance cooperation in food security to ensure a sustainable and safe food supply chain and contribute to providing a basic level of nutrition. Italy and Bahrain will also work together in industrial partnerships, research and innovation, developmental cooperation activities, and institutional cooperation to support Bahrain’s goals in raising national food security and enhancing local food production.

The two sides also agreed to cooperate in customs, building on the memorandum of understanding signed between the two countries in February 2025, between the Customs and Monopolies Agency of the Italian Republic and the Customs Affairs at the Ministry of Interior of the Kingdom of Bahrain.

The two countries agreed to work more closely in key customs areas, supporting efforts to enhance international trade and strengthen the national economy, in addition to agreeing on new measures to establish a technical committee to coordinate best practices, implement capacity-building programs, and organize joint study visits.

The parties also welcomed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Bahrain Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency on cooperation in space sciences, technologies, and applications. This memorandum aims to enhance cooperation between the two parties in space sciences, technology, and applications, facilitate knowledge exchange, and provide opportunities for joint training, research, and other cooperation fields.

Additionally, the two sides reviewed the depth of cooperation on important regional and international issues and affirmed their commitment to multilateralism, with the United Nations as a fundamental pillar. Italy congratulated Bahrain on its election as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2026-2027 term.

The two sides acknowledged that migration is a global issue requiring collective and international commitment to address its associated challenges through a comprehensive approach that includes innovative solutions. They emphasized the need to enhance international cooperation to combat organized crime and human trafficking, praising the efforts of both parties in this field.

Italy and Bahrain renewed their commitment to work together to achieve peace and stability in the Middle East. They called for an immediate end to the war in Gaza, the immediate release of all hostages, condemned any unilateral actions or violence in the West Bank that undermine the two-state solution, and demanded the provision of full and safe humanitarian aid to Gaza. They affirmed their support for the two-state solution by establishing an independent Palestinian state in accordance with United Nations Security Council resolutions.

The two sides confirmed their commitment to the unity, territorial integrity, and sovereignty of Syria and expressed support for economic recovery, reconstruction efforts, and the voluntary, safe, dignified, and sustainable return of Syrian refugees, in cooperation with United Nations agencies such as the UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration.

Italy and Bahrain stressed the importance of Iran’s commitment to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. They renewed their support for all diplomatic efforts aimed at reaching a comprehensive solution to the Iranian nuclear file, which can only be achieved through the resumption of serious negotiations.

Italy and Bahrain will also continue their efforts to establish a just and lasting peace in Ukraine as soon as possible.

They also confirmed their commitment to strengthening relations between the European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council, enhancing them within the framework of the 46th session of the GCC Supreme Council to be held in the Kingdom of Bahrain next December, as well as the EU-GCC summit in 2026 in Riyadh.