His Majesty King Hamad, president of the current session of the Supreme Council of the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC), chaired the second working session of the 46th GCC Summit at Sakhir Palace.
The session was attended by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni as the summit’s Guest of Honour.
At the opening of the session, His Majesty delivered a speech in which he welcomed Prime Minister Meloni.
The King praised her participation and said it reflects the depth of the long-standing relations uniting Bahrain and Italy and peoples, grounded in mutual trust, understanding, and respect.
He reiterated the keenness of the GCC states to develop co-operation and to broaden the horizons of partnership with Italy, and to further consolidate the economic, social and cultural ties.
Prime Minister Meloni in her address thanked His Majesty for this historic opportunity that the GCC is offering to the nation she represents.
She said Europe and Asia are natural partners. She was convinced that by uniting the West and the East (Europe and Asia), they can contribute to helping overcome divisions.
Prime Minister Meloni said she would like to work on a “GCC-MED” Summit that she was ready to host in Italy to create a new and ambitious format of dialogue between Gulf and Mediterranean nations.
She said their goal must be building a common operational platform focusing on the challenges in which they can make a difference.
And the first of these challenges lies in developing economic interconnections.
She said she was thinking of the India-Middle East Corridor, the infrastructure and economic project to connect major port cities in India, the Middle East, and Europe, enabling interconnection with the US.
This initiative would allow their economies and businesses to unleash enormous potential, and – in it – Italy intends to play a leading role – for example, counting on a crucial hub such as Trieste, the northernmost port in the Mediterranean and a historic maritime gate to the Balkans and the rest of Central and Eastern Europe.
“Through enhanced co-operation that I want to build, Italy, Europe, the Gulf Nations but also North Africa and the Middle East can, therefore, work together for shaping something new, in order to build an increasingly secure, stable, and prosperous geopolitical space.
“This is even more important in the Gulf area, which guards sea routes that are as crucial as exposed to risks and tensions originating from Middle East instability,” she said.
“Personally, I believe three priority paths shall be travelled to achieve stability in your region and ours.
“The first path goes through the Middle East, especially now that the plan presented by President Trump offers a real possibility to build a stable and lasting framework of peace and security. We know well how fragile the truce is and how much work will be needed to turn this opportunity into a long-term reality, but we are all committed to supporting and nurturing the unity of purpose proved by the international community in Sharm El Sheikh, attaining an uncommon level of sharing and participation.
“Italy is doing its own part, both by training the Palestinian police and providing the aid package for the reconstruction conference. Yet, I remain convinced that, to ensure the Middle East the security and stability it deserves, we shall work to attain the two-State structural solution. And we all know this requires Israel’s recognition of the Palestinians’ right to have their own state, and the definitive recognition of the State of Israel’s right to existence and security.” This was followed by a statement from GCC Secretary-General Jassem Al Budaiwi.
Following the public addresses, His Majesty chaired a closed session with GCC leaders, their representatives, and the Italian Prime Minister.
The discussions focused on strengthening historical ties, expanding strategic partnerships, and exploring opportunities for enhanced collaboration across multiple sectors to advance mutual interests.
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