Relationship dossier
Bahrain
Italy
Relationship assessment
Bahrain and Italy cooperate on defense and engage on energy and other bilateral issues.
Bahrain toward Italy
+35Bahrain has hosted Italy’s naval support station since 2015, providing a basis for bilateral defense cooperation. Bahrain also engaged with Italy on bilateral agreements and cooperation, including during high-level discussions in 2023.
Italy toward Bahrain
+35Italy maintains a naval support station in Bahrain and has pursued bilateral defense cooperation. In 2023, Italian and Bahraini officials discussed and concluded agreements covering areas including energy and other forms of cooperation.
Overall relationship
+35The relationship includes a durable defense component through Italy’s naval support presence in Bahrain, alongside high-level engagement and cooperation on additional issues. These features indicate a practical partnership, though the broader scope and implementation of agreements are uncertain.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Bahrain and Italy maintain practical cooperation, notably through Italy’s naval support presence in Bahrain and bilateral engagement on areas including defense and energy. Their 2023 high-level engagement and cooperation agreements indicate a broader partnership, although its scope and implementation are not fully clear.
Key developments
Italy established a naval support station in Bahrain, providing a durable basis for bilateral defense cooperation.
High-level bilateral engagement and cooperation agreements addressed energy and other areas.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of bilateral cooperation agreements, including those discussed in 2023, are unclear.
- The extent of ongoing defense and energy cooperation beyond the naval support presence is uncertain.