Dr. Salah affirmed the solidity of the deep-rooted Bahraini-Russian friendship relations, praising Russian stances towards the continuous reform strides achieved in the kingdom under the wise leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.
The Minister highlighted the kingdom’s interest in boosting human rights since the inception of the comprehensive Reform Project through licensing human rights NGOs and the establishment of the National Institution for Human Rights (NIHR) whose independence was strengthened as per the recent Royal Decree.
He added that the High Human Right Coordinating Committee, serving as a link between all official bodies concerned with human rights, has facilitated consultations on human rights affairs, which has accelerated government action in this regard, highlighting its role in following up the implementation process of the recommendations of issued by the Human Rights Council last September, 2012.
The Human Rights Affairs Minister praised the visit as the best way to inquire about the reality of what is going on in Bahrain and record the kingdom’s achievements, as well as its efforts to promote the human rights culture in order to complete the democratic march.
He pointed out that HM the King ordered the resumption of the National Consensus Dialogue on the political theme, adding that despite the slow pace, the interlocutors are doing their best to reach substantial agreements.
“The current situation the kingdom is currently going through requires focusing all national efforts in order to ensure that the National Consensus Dialogue succeeds and achieves its goals.”
The Minister also updated the Ambassador on the surge in street violence in the kingdom, the security forces’ discovery of ammunition warehouses, increase in the use of criminal weapons and the growing youth tendency towards violence as a result of the hatred and sectarian discourse they are exposed to, stressing that such aggressive acts of sabotage affect the kingdom’s stability and security.
Dr. Salah briefed the Russian envoy on the national initiatives launched by the Government of Bahrain in order to honour its international commitments, especially during the session in which the Human Rights Council in Geneva approved Bahrain’s report last September.
Ambassador Smirnov welcomed the democratic and human rights achievements attained as a result of the implementation of the recommendations of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry, calling upon all social segments to engage in a comprehensive national dialogue and reach consensus on making a progress in all fields so as to ensure the continuity of the reform and democracy march.