France and the Kingdom of Bahrain launched on Tuesday 15 February 2022 the celebrations of their 50 years of diplomatic relations.
The launch took place during a reception held at the Residence of France, hosted by the Ambassador of France, H.E. Mr. Jérôme Cauchard and the Undersecretary for Political Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bahrain, H.E. Dr. Shaikh Abdulla bin Ahmed Al Khalifa.
During the ceremony, the French Ambassador recalled the special bonds of friendship and trust that have linked the two countries, diplomatically for 50 years but much longer historically. He recalled the decisive role of Georges Pompidou, then President of the French Republic, in the recognition of the State of Bahrain in 1972. Paying tribute to the quality of the relationship between the two countries, the Ambassador also spoke of the strategic importance of Bahrain in the region and its often-pioneering role in many areas. "The Kingdom of Bahrain’s openness to the world, which has existed for thousands of years, has been further strengthened over the past fifty years, driven by an internationally recognised concern for coexistence between cultures and religions and a strong desire to work for peace and dialogue.
In these developments, the friendship between France and Bahrain has taken its rightful place," the French Ambassador recalled, before adding that "France is already ready to stand by Bahrain to build 50 new beautiful years of cooperation with the Kingdom.
The French Ambassador took the opportunity of the ceremony to announce the many events that will take place during the year 2022 to celebrate the Franco-Bahraini friendship. These events will all be labelled with the logo of 50 years of diplomatic relations which was unveiled during the ceremony during which several personalities who have embodied this relationship in different fields and for many years were celebrated. A medal was presented to them by the Ambassador and by H.E. Shaikh Abdulla bin Ahmed Al Khalifa who himself received a medal of honour from the Ambassador.
Before closing the ceremony and to symbolise the cultural cooperation between the two countries, two young French artists, Arnaud Rothfuss and Marylou Hebert, and two young Bahraini artists, Salman Aljar and Mohamed Aref, unveiled a work of art in four parts, specially made for the occasion. Once reunited, these four parts form a whole that symbolises the closeness of the two countries and illustrates the actuality and the future of the Franco-Bahraini friendship. It will be installed at the French Embassy, at the Alliance Française and exhibited at various events during the year 2022.
The ceremony also highlighted the multidisciplinary French presence in Bahrain and the strong historical ties between the two countries.