Bahrain has taken part in the 29th meeting of the officials in charge of the foreign media in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in the Saudi capital Riyadh.
“The meeting was within the coordination and cooperation drive of the GCC countries to help the international community gain greater insights into their achievements, culture and identity,” Maysa Al Thawadi, the Director of Follow Up at the Information Affairs Authority (IAA) said. “The GCC common drive, in line with the GCC media strategy, also includes highlighting political advances and social accomplishments. The focus at the Riyadh meeting was on the GCC Days to be held in the Japanese capital Tokyo in April in coordination with the GCC Secretariat General,” she said.
The GCC Days feature seminars, handicraft displays, and media and cultural events about the GCC countries as well as on the GCC-Japanese relations.
“The Follow Up Directorate, under directives from the Minister of Information Isa Abdul Rahman Al Hammadi, is keen on closer relations and cooperation with its counterparts in the other GCC countries,” Maysa said. “The foreign media directorates in the various GCC states together organise such joint events to convey the reality on the ground in our countries and to share with the international community our progress in several fields. It is highly significant that misconceptions and misleading information about the GCC are properly addressed so that the genuine facts and the right details are clearly highlighted and made available for all people,” she said.
The GCC Days in Tokyo will be the tenth to be held by the GCC countries. Previous days were organised in Paris, Brussels, Berlin, The Hague, Madrid, Rome, London and Seoul. The last GCC Days were in the Swedish capital Stockholm in November 2013.