ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Imran Khan continues his ‘Middle East mission’ for stability in the region as he visits Bahrain today (December 16).

During the visit, he will have one-on-one meeting with King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa and hold delegation-level talks with Crown Prince Salman Bin Hamad Al-Khalifa.

“The exchange of views would cover the entire gamut of bilateral relations and matters pertaining to regional and international issues (including the Middle East peace),” said a foreign ministry statement.

The foreign ministry said the Prime Minister’s visit to Bahrain will enable the two sides to explore ways and means to further deepen bilateral trade and investments ties.

Prime Minister Khan will attend the National Day of the country as guest of honour. He is visiting Bahrain on the invitation of King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa.

Bahrain’s highest civil award ‘King Hamad Order of the Renaissance’ will be conferred upon Prime Minister Khan at a special ceremony. In August, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also conferred the same award.

Earlier, Prime Minister Imran Khan called for resolving the Middle East disputes and differences through diplomatic means.

During a meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman in Riyadh over the weekend, the Prime Minister said Pakistan would continue to facilitate all efforts in that direction with a view to precluding conflict, defusing tensions and preserving peace for the benefit of the region and the world.

For the Bahrain visit, Prime Minister Khan will be accompanied by a high-level delegation including members of the cabinet and senior government officials.

This will be Prime Minister Imran Khan’s first visit to Bahrain since assuming office in August last year.

Pakistan and Bahrain enjoy close cordial ties based on commonalities of faith and culture and marked by mutual trust and understanding.

The bilateral relationship is broad-based and multifaceted, covering diverse fields including political, trade, commercial, defence, people-to-people contacts. Frequent high-level exchanges are a hallmark of the relationship.

Pakistan and Bahrain closely coordinate in multilateral fora including the United Nations, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the Gulf Cooperation Council, said the foreign ministry statement.

The two countries have established institutional mechanisms, including Bilateral Political Consultations and Joint Ministerial Commission, to bolster bilateral cooperation in diverse fields, it said.

Both Pakistan and Bahrain also enjoy close inter-parliamentary cooperation. More than 100,000 Pakistani expatriate community, which contributes to the socio-economic development of Bahrain, acts as a strong human bridge between the two countries.