Bahrain accedes Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia

Shaikh Khalid addressing the session

By Habib Toumi

Bangkok: Bahrain signed the Instrument of Accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) in Bangkok.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa who signed on the accession treaty behalf of Bahrain expressed gratitude to Thailand for the invitation to Bahrain to accede the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia.

Bahrain’s accession to the Treaty in a crucial step that reflects its keenness to strengthen relations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries and support its pivotal role regionally and internationally, he said.

Such steps facilitate the development of mechanisms of cooperation between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and ASEAN countries to meet the common aspirations of their countries and peoples and contribute to the consolidation of security and peace in the region and the world, Shaikh Khalid added.

Offering his congratulations, Thai Minister of Foreign Affairs Minister Don Pramudwinai expressed the ASEAN countries’ willingness to work with Bahrain in various fields for the benefit of all.

ASEAN, founded in 1967, comprises founders Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand as well as Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam.

The 10-member regional bloc has a combined GDP of $2.8 trillion, a population of 650 million, and a land mass covering more than 1.7 million square miles.

The GCC, established in 1981, comprises Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.