Russia-Bahrain relations

Diplomatic relations between the USSR and the Kingdom of Bahrain were established on September 29, 1990. Bahrain recognised Russia as the successor state to the USSR on December 28, 1991.

The countries support active political dialogue and the exchange of delegations. King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain has visited Russia many times (in December 2008, October 2014, February and September 2016). In October 2014, King Hamad met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and visited the first Russian Formula One Grand Prix in Sochi. In 2016, the Bahraini King held talks with the Russian President twice: on February 8 in Sochi and on September 6 in Moscow. The meeting in September resulted in signing an intergovernmental agreement on establishing the bilateral intergovernmental commission as well as memorandums of understanding between Bahraini NOGA Holding, on one side, and Gazprom and ROSGEO, on the other. During his visit, King Hamad also took part in the Army 2016 International Military-Technical Forum.

In May 2014, Bahraini Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa arrived in Russia on a working visit. He had meetings with Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Medvedev and Sergey Lavrov. During his visit, the Crown Prince also visited St Petersburg.

Traditionally close contacts with the Bahraini leadership are maintained by Viktor Zubkov, Special Presidential Representative for Cooperation with Gas Exporting Countries Forum and Chairman of Gazprom’s Board of Directors. In January 2016, he visited Bahrain again and took part in the BIAS-2016 international airshow and held talks with the King, prime minister, foreign minister and minister of energy. During the discussion, the Bahraini side reaffirmed its interest in intensifying cooperation in the gas sector.

Contacts are maintained between the countries’ foreign ministries. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visited Bahrain in 2008 as part of a tour of Persian Gulf countries. Bahraini Foreign Minister Khaled Al Khalifa had working visits to Moscow in 2006, 2012 and December 2015. An important platform for cooperation with Bahrain is the ministerial meeting of the strategic dialogue between Russia and the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC). The most recent round was held in May 2016 in Moscow.

Representatives of the Russian Foreign Ministry attend the Manama Dialogue, an international regional security summit on the Middle East held in Bahrain every year.

Interparliamentary ties continue to advance. In June 2013, a Bahraini parliamentary delegation visited Moscow and had meetings with State Duma Deputy Nikolai Levichev and senior members of the State Duma Foreign Affairs Committee.

Active contacts with members of Bahrain’s parliament are maintained by Federation Council Deputy Chairman Ilyas Umakhanov.

Russia-Bahraini trade and economic cooperation has recently seen positive developments. At the end of 2016, trade between the two countries stood at $53.9 million ($12.2 million in 2015).

The Kingdom of Bahrain ranks as Russia’s 124^th largest foreign trading partner. Russia exports to Bahrain metal and pulp and paper products. Oil and aluminum products are imported from Bahrain in small quantities.

In 2016, the Intergovernmental Russian-Bahraini Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technological Cooperation was established. Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov was appointed chairman of the Russian side, and Minister of Industry and Commerce Zayed Al Zayani was appointed chairman of the Bahraini side.

In February 2017, the first meeting of the Commission was held in Manama. During this meeting, the key issues of bilateral trade and economic cooperation were discussed, such as investment cooperation, energy (including the oil and gas sector and peaceful use of nuclear energy), bilateral cooperation at the regional level, the agricultural sector, geological exploration, subsurface management and interbank cooperation.

Cooperation in investment is also developing. In 2014, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and the Bahraini Mumtalakat Fund signed a memorandum of understanding which envisages Bahraini business participation in Russian projects. Mumtalakat’s investment package into the RDIF totals $250 million. The agreement between the Russian and Bahraini governments to promote and mutually protect the investments, which came into effect in December 2015, helps to advance investment cooperation.

The legal framework includes intergovernmental agreements : On Air Communication (1994), Trade, Economic and Technical Cooperation (1999), Promotion and Mutual Protection of Investments (2015), Visa Waiver for Holders of Diplomatic, Service and Special Passports (2016), Military-Technical Cooperation, Transfer of Sentenced Persons,  and Extradition (signed in 2015).

Russia and Bahrain have signed a number of ministry agreements and memorandums: Memorandum of Understanding between the Foreign Ministries (2006), Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministries of Culture on Cooperation in Culture (2008), Memorandum of Understanding between Rosatom and the Foreign Ministry of Bahrain on Cooperation in the Peaceful Use of Nuclear Energy (2008), Cooperation Agreement between the Interior Ministries (2009), Memorandum between the Russian Federal Drug Control Service and the Bahraini Ministry of Internal Affairs on Cooperation in Combating Illicit Turnover of Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and their Precursors (2009), Memorandum of Understanding between the Air Agencies on Bilateral Cooperation in Civil Aviation (2014), and  Memorandum of Understanding between the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and the Bahraini Mumtalakat Investment Holding (2014).

Bilateral cooperation in aviation continues to make progress. In October 2014, direct flights between Russia and Bahrain were established: the Bahraini national air company Gulf Air operates flights from Manama to Moscow to Manama four times a week.

Since 2010, the Russian Knights aerobatic demonstration team has taken part in the biennial Bahrain International Air Show (BIAS), except in 2016 (Iran did not allow Russia to fly above its territory).

Cultural cooperation. In the framework of King Hamad’s visit to Russia on October 11−12, 2014, Russian Minister of Culture Vladimir Medinsky and Bahraini Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa signed the Programme of Cooperation between the Ministries of Culture for 2015−2017, as well as the Programme of Joint Actions in Tourism for 2015−2016.

Bahraini Minister of Culture Mai bint Mohammed al Khalifa participated in the 3^rd St Petersburg International Cultural Forum held on December 7−9, 2014.

In September and October 2013, Days of Bahraini Culture were held in Moscow and St Petersburg, which included a number of successful art exhibitions.

Cooperation with compatriots residing in the Kingdom (300) is carried out via the Bahraini Association of Russian Speakers.