BRUSSELS, 13th July, 2026 (WAM) -- Following the meeting between the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, Kaja Kallas, the European Commissioner for Mediterranean, Dubravka uica, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain, Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, on the margins of the third High Level Forum on Regional Security and Cooperation in Brussels on 13 July the European Union and the Kingdom of Bahrain announced the launch of negotiations towards an Bahrain-EU Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA).

Recognizing the important role of the Kingdom of Bahrain, its capacity as the current president of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2026-2027, and in particular its efforts in supporting peaceful resolution of conflicts, promoting multilateralism, and underlining both sides' principled commitment to safeguarding the rules-based international order, the two parties reaffirmed their shared determination to deepen their cooperation in contributing to regional peace, prosperity and security, including preserving maritime security and freedom of navigation.

This announcement underscores the strength of the EU's partnership with the Kingdom of Bahrain and offers beneficial opportunities to further expand and deepen cooperation in areas of mutual interests. In the upcoming negotiation process, the two sides will explore new avenues for enhanced cooperation and ways to tackle emerging challenges of mutual interest.

According to a joint statement issued the European Union External Action, the two sides reaffirmed their steadfast commitment to deepening their bilateral partnership, notably political and security dialogue, and further reinforcing their cooperation in multilateral fora, while the Commissioner underlined the potential the Strategic Partnership Agreement brings to expand economic cooperation.