Human Rights Affairs Minister, Dr. Salah bin Ali Abdulrahman, received French Ambassador for Human Rights François Zimeray, in the presence of French Ambassador to Bahrain Christian Tistot.
He stressed strong historic ties of friendship bonding both countries in various fields.
He also discussed with the ambassador a number of issues of common interest, including mainly human rights. He underlined Bahrain’s big strides in developing the human rights practice and boosting democracy within the framework of the reform march launched by His Majesty the King since his accession to the throne in 1999.
The Human Rights Minister described a recent visit to Bahrain by a delegation from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights as a major proof of the open-door policy adopted by the political leadership.
He said the visit was important to assess achievements brought about by Bahrain and its commitment to the Human Rights Council’s recommendations.
This visit, he added, has contributed to unveiling the truth and upholding Bahrain’s image as the state of law and institutions.
He also voiced keenness to avail of the French experience in the human rights field to upgrade the institutional management of human rights and groom the Bahraini cadres by updating them of the advanced European human rights experience.
The French ambassador hailed the Human Rights Affairs Minister’s efforts, stressing the need for all Bahrainis to engage in a national dialogue to boost unity and mend rifts.