Delegation of the Institute of Oriental studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) headed by the Scientific Director, Academician Vitaly Naumkin visited Bahrain, where they met with King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Foreign Minister of Bahrain Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, and President of Bahrain Centre for Strategic, International and Energy Studies Abdulla bin Ahmed Al Khalifa.
In the Royal Sakhir Palace, the head of the Russian delegation, by the decision of the Academic Council of the Institute of Oriental studies of the RAS, awarded the King with the Ignaty Krachkovsky medal for his outstanding role in the dialogue of civilizations and peaceful coexistence between religions. The meeting was also attended by Bahrain's Ambassador to Russia Ahmed Abdulrahman Al Saati and Russian Ambassador to Bahrain Igor Kremnev. The Russian delegation included Deputy Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Institute of Oriental studies Maxim Shirokov, head of the Center for Arab and Islamic Studies Vasily Kuznetsov and Adviser on Russia and the Gulf countries affairs Salum Hossam Eddin.
The delegation of the Russian Academy of Sciences highly appreciated the policy of king Hamad to promote and develop Russian-Bahraini bilateral relations based on the principles of mutual respect and achieving positive results in the common interests of two states and their peoples.
The visit of the Russian delegation of Oriental scholars is timed to the establishment of the King Hamad Global Centre for Peaceful CoExistence and the opening of the King Hamad Department of Interfaith Dialogue and Peaceful Coexistence Studies at the Sapienza University, which is assessed by experts as important steps to promote cultural values and the principle of tolerance, since coexistence and dialogue in society serve as supports for combating violence and discrimination.
Source: официальный сайт ИВ РАН