GLOBAL connectivity rests on three vital arteries, the sea, the air and the flow of data, all of which must remain safe, open and protected, Foreign Minister Dr Abdullatif Al Zayani said.
He said Bahrain calls for safe and unhindered navigation by sea and air and for the protection of the right of transit passage in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, free from illegitimate restrictions, permits or fees.
His remarks came during the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) held in Azerbaijan, chaired by President Ilham Aliyev and attended by heads of state and governments, foreign ministers, representatives of regional and international organisations, and CICA Secretary-General Kairat Sarbay.
“We are meeting at a time of great uncertainty in the region and beyond,” Dr Al Zayani said.
“Over the past months, Bahrain alongside the Gulf Co-operation Council countries and Jordan have been subjected to unjustified attacks targeting our cities, infrastructure and people, without us being party to any war. This was in flagrant violation of the very principles upon which this conference was founded: respect for the sovereignty and unity of states, non-interference in their internal affairs, good neighbourliness, and the peaceful settlement of disputes.”
Dr Al Zayani said Bahrain, as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, calls for the full implementation of Security Council Resolution 2817 of 2026, which was submitted by the kingdom and received the support of 136 countries.
He warned that disruption to navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and the dangers facing ships in Bab Al Mandab and the Red Sea threaten global supply chains as well as energy and food security.
He highlighted the blockade of about 1,600 commercial ships and said more than 23,000 sailors had been deprived of their freedom and kept away from their families.
Dr Al Zayani also condemned missile and drone attacks launched by the Houthi militia this week on airports in Riyadh, Abha, Jazan and Najran in Saudi Arabia, which he said resulted in civilian deaths, including nationals of countries represented at the conference.
He described the attacks as a grave violation of international law and the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation, stressing Bahrain’s strong condemnation of the attacks and its full solidarity with Saudi Arabia.
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