Bahrain and Greece have agreed to promote collaboration in maritime transport, trade, investment, technology and defence, following the meeting between the ruler of Bahrain and the President and Prime Minister of Greece in Athens. The two countries have common interests in Gulf security. Bahrain Greece Ties
The visit, as part of an official state visit by the Amir of Bahrain, focused on protecting freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandab strait, two strategic waterways which have been at risk of being closed in recent conflicts.
Both leaders have called for arrangements governing the waters to be based upon international law, and to abide by the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, to ensure free traffic and uninterrupted supplies.
During his meeting with President Constantine Tassoulas and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa pointed out that Bahrain appreciated Greece’s solidarity with Bahrain after reports of attacks by Iran on Bahraini facilities which resulted in loss of life and material damage. The President of Greece stressed that attacks on the sovereignty of another nation are an affront to everyone’s security.
Greece expressed its solidarity with Bahrain’s position and recalled that it supported UN resolutions passed on the issue. The President of France stressed that not only the Gulf states but also Greece, which is connected to international trade routes, were affected by such incidents.
Greece, he said, supported freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and participated in operations to protect ships passing through the Red Sea, notably through Operation Aspides.
King Hamad, in remarks emphasising the two nations’ historical bond, noted that Greek and Bahraini civilisations have interacted for more than 23 centuries, dating to when Bahrain was known to the Greeks as Tylos.
He framed the visit as building a modern partnership atop that shared heritage, while describing the current period as one testing state sovereignty and maritime safety worldwide. Bahrain, he said, valued Greece’s principled, law-based stance at a time when such commitments have grown rarer.
Beyond geopolitics, the two leaders discussed expanding economic ties, pointing to Greece’s status as home to one of the world’s largest merchant fleets and Bahrain’s position as a hub for regional maritime security partnerships in the Gulf.
Both sides reaffirmed support for regional stability efforts, and King Hamad extended invitations to Tassoulas and Mitsotakis to visit Bahrain, with Mitsotakis later hosting a luncheon for the visiting delegation. Bahrain Economy
