Manama, Jan. 16 (BNA): Interior Minister Lieutenant General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa held a meeting today at the Public Security Officers Club.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani, and heads of diplomatic missions of brotherly and friendly countries in Bahrain, and senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs attended. The meeting was held on the occasion of Bahrain’s Diplomatic Day, which falls on January 14.
The Minister of Interior delivered a speech in which he expressed his appreciation for the achievements of Bahraini diplomacy due to its noble values and principles within the framework of the directives of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to enhance the presence of Bahraini diplomacy in the Gulf region. Arab and international world.
He praised the values of the Bahraini foreign policy that derive from the Bahraini identity while keeping abreast of regional developments and events and dealing with them with flexibility, wisdom, rationality and a close future outlook.
He praised the role of the government, led by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, in embodying the realistic implementation of foreign relations on the basis of sound judgment and taking political positions in line with developments and changes. In the world.
The Minister of Interior congratulated the heads of diplomatic missions on the national occasion, praising the honorable role of Bahraini diplomacy and its national and Arab approaches that promoted the values of tolerance and peace in Bahrain. He appreciated the Foreign Minister’s diplomatic initiative to hold this diplomatic meeting, which represents a valuable opportunity to unify diplomatic concepts and responsibilities to assume responsibility for foreign diplomatic leadership.
He explained that despite the development of modern communications, and direct interactions between the concerned authorities, official cooperation is still through the diplomatic mission, noting that the basic normative duty that everyone must work together to achieve is to help citizens abroad.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Foreign Affairs thanked and appreciated the Ministry of Interior for organizing the meeting with the heads of diplomatic missions to inform them of the security programs and initiatives of the Ministry of Interior within the framework of efforts to protect security and stability. He stressed that the meeting was an opportunity to inform them of the ministry’s role in enhancing community security.
During the meeting, Chief of Public Security Lieutenant General Tariq Al-Hassan briefed the attendees on the programs and services of the Ministry of Interior, including development and modernization programs to improve performance.
The Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior for Nationality, Passports and Residence Affairs, Sheikh Hisham bin Abdulrahman Al Khalifa, briefed the meeting on the authority’s services and efforts to enhance efficiency through the use of modern technology, competitive services, building partnerships and communicating with customers. Inside and outside Bahrain.
He said that the priorities of the National Tourism Authority include digital transformation and the development of the residence system to enhance the national economy and facilitate the issuance of visas to support the tourism strategy. He said that 19 of the 25 initiatives approved by the Council of Ministers have been implemented, while operations continue to implement the remaining six initiatives. He referred to cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the services of issuing lost and damaged passports abroad.
The CEO of the Information and eGovernment Authority, Mohammed Al-Qaed, said that the authority is a key player in the digital transformation strategy and oversight of information and communication technology activities. He highlighted the most important digital initiatives and services provided by citizens outside Bahrain and residents of the Kingdom.
The Chief of Customs, Shaikh Ahmed bin Hamad Al Khalifa, highlighted the strategic goals of customs affairs that meet the government’s action plan for the Economic Vision 2030. He highlighted various topics, including the Gulf customs union, the economic operator agreement, and future regional and international relations. .
The CEO of the National Center for Cybersecurity, Shaikh Salman bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, briefed the meeting on the center’s operations and its role in enhancing cybersecurity. He highlighted the importance of raising awareness and building capacities to enhance cyber security.
Director General of Implementation of Alternative Sentences and Provisions, Sheikh Khalid bin Rashid Al Khalifa, praised Bahrain’s diplomatic policy. The meeting was briefed on alternative penalties and the Directorate’s strategic plan to promote alternative penalties in Bahrain at the international level through diplomatic missions. He also highlighted the open prisons as an innovative experiment to achieve the best rehabilitation for its inmates.
He revealed a decrease in the rate of recurrence of crimes after applying alternative penalties to 2.64% in 2022, while it was 4% in 2021. As a result, the number of beneficiaries from alternative penalties reached 4,704 inmates.
After that, the director of the “Together Against Violence and Addiction” program highlighted the goals and achievements of the program.
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