Bahrain–European Union relations are the

international relations International relations (IR, and also referred to as international studies, international politics, or international affairs) is an academic discipline. In a broader sense, the study of IR, in addition to multilateral relations, concerns al ...

between the Kingdom of Bahrain in the

Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf, sometimes called the Arabian Gulf, is a Mediterranean seas, mediterranean sea in West Asia. The body of water is an extension of the Arabian Sea and the larger Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.Un ...

and the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...

(EU).

History

Bahrain, as part of the

Gulf Cooperation Council The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (), also known as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC; ), is a Regional integration, regional, intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental, political, and economic union comprising Ba ...

(GCC), signed a cooperation agreement with the EU in 1988. This paved the way for closer economic and political relations. In 2013, the GCC and EU ministerial meeting occurred in Manama and was co-chaired by the EU High Representative-Vice President

Catherine Ashton Catherine Margaret Ashton, Baroness Ashton of Upholland (born 20 March 1956) is a Labour Party (UK), British Labour politician who served as the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of th ...

and the Bahraini Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa. Bahrain has been criticised by the EU for its treatment of political activists during and after the 2011 Bahraini uprising.

Environment

In May 2015, Bahrain and the EU have expressed interest in hosting joint environmental projects, which includes preservation of the country's biodiversity and a review of environmental legislation.

Trade

The EU is the GCC's largest trading partner, valued at €152 billion which accounts for over 13% of total exports. In turn, the GCC is the EU's fifth largest export market, which is worth €95 billion. Since 1990, the GCC and EU have entered negotiations for a

free trade agreement A free trade agreement (FTA) or treaty is an agreement according to international law to form a free-trade area between the cooperating state (polity), states. There are two types of trade agreements: Bilateralism, bilateral and Multilateralism, m ...

. However, recurrent disputes have resulted in the talks being suspended by the GCC multiple times, the most recent of which being in 2008.

Bahrain's foreign relations with EU member states

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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bahrain-European Union relations

Third-country relations of the European Union

History

Environment

Trade

Bahrain's foreign relations with EU member states

See also

Further reading

References