Geneva, Mar. 7. (BNA) –On the sidelines of the 22nd session of the Human Rights Council, currently held here, the Human Rights Affairs Minister Dr. Salah bin Ali Abdulrahman and his accompanying delegation held a meeting with Spain’s Permanent Representative to UN Office here, Ms. Ana María Menéndez Pérez.

During the meeting, Dr. Salah lauded the solid friendly Bahraini-Spanish relations, calling for the need to exert more efforts in order to enhance joint cooperation in various fields, particularly in human rights one in order to enable Bahrain to take advantage of Spain’s experience in promoting human rights principles, instilling the values of accountability and achieving consensus and national reconciliation, as the best way to strengthen patriotic feelings and commitment to constitutional and legitimate fundamentals.

He said that Bahrain and Spain are two constitutional monarchies, noting that the Spanish human rights experience is a model that should be studied and taken advantage of.

The Human Rights Affairs Minister pointed out that the participation of all political spectra in on-going National Consensus Dialogue conveys a message that the democratic and reform march in the kingdom has never stopped, the bridges of contact and communication have never been interrupted and that the democratic, political and human rights, economic and development march will continue un-wavered, which will achieve security, stability and prosperity for the kingdom and its people.

He also informed the Spanish Ambassador on the recent human rights achievements in the kingdom, citing the establishment of the Human Rights Affairs Ministry, the activation of the role of the National Institution for Human Rights, the recent visit of the delegation of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the upcoming visit of the UN Special rapporteur on Torture in May, the visit of the High Commissioner for Human Rights during this year and enhancing contacts with international human rights organisations, in line with the recommendations of the Human Right Council to facilitate the entry of international NGOs into the kingdom.

On her part, the Spanish Ambassador praised the meeting, saying it provided her with an opportunity to be updated on the reality of what is going on in Bahrain, lauding the latest democratic and human rights developments in the kingdom.

She also welcomed the on-going National Consensus Dialogue, expressing her country’s readiness to provide all kinds of support for the kingdom in all fields.

WHQ