London:Bader Hood Al Mahmood, Undersecretary for Ports and Maritime Affairs at Bahrain's Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications, held a series of strategic meetings and bilateral talks in London. These meetings were part of Bahrain's participation in the 138th session of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Council.
According to Bahrain News Agency, the discussions primarily focused on enhancing cooperation and addressing mutual interests in the realms of maritime connectivity, safety, and modern maritime technologies.
During a meeting with Suliman bin Khalid Al Mazroua, President of the Saudi Ports Authority, both parties explored ways to improve direct connectivity between Bahraini and Saudi ports. This is aimed at facilitating the movement of goods and transit cargo, alongside expanding cooperation in the ports and maritime navigation sector.
Undersecretary Al Mahmood also engaged with Hessa Al Malik from the United Arab Emirates to discuss enhancing bilateral maritime cooperation and coordination on various maritime navigation matters.
Further discussions with Rear Admiral Staff Hussein Mostafa Al Jazeeri from Egypt focused on developing transit traffic and maritime connectivity, digitising procedures, and implementing single-window systems. They also coordinated on matters on the IMO's agenda.
In talks with Dr. Christos Atalianis of Cyprus, both sides reviewed maritime cooperation, discussing ship registration, emission reduction, maritime safety, search and rescue, and technical expertise exchange.
Additionally, Al Mahmood engaged with British officials and experts to discuss navigational aids, electronic navigation applications, and capacity-building for national personnel in maritime safety and navigation.