Bahrain to Develop Military Cooperation with UK

The Gulf Cooperation Council’s secretary-general Jassim Al-Budaiwi during his participation at Manama Dialogue Conference. (Secretariat General of the Gulf Cooperation Council)

Field Marshal Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, Commander-in-Chief of the Bahrain Defense Force (BDF), met Admiral Sir Antony David Radakin, Chief of the UK Defense Staff, and they signed a Declaration of Intent to develop military cooperation between both sides.
Bahrain News Agency reported that the meeting took place on Sunday on the sidelines of the Manama Dialogue Conference.
The Declaration of Intent aims to develop military cooperation between both sides, through the signing of a cooperation agreement that would broaden joint relations.
The commander-in-chief also met lieutenant admiral Robert Bauer, the Chair of the NATO Military Committee, who was on a visit to the country to take part in the Conference, and the accompanying delegation.
Lieutenant-General Abdulla bin Hassan Al Noaimi, Defense Affairs Minister, was present.
Speaking at the Manama Dialogue Conference, the Gulf Cooperation Council’s secretary-general Jassim Al-Budaiwi emphasized the GCC’s role as a trusted global partner in the energy sector.
“Energy security occupies a prominent place in the policies of the GCC countries,” he said.
He criticized misleading narratives that suggest alternative energy sources can completely replace fossil fuels and further highlighted the decades-long reliability of the GCC as an energy partner.
Al-Budaiwi also emphasized the region’s commitment to stabilizing global energy markets.
“The GCC countries recognize the importance of traditional energy supplies in the long term to ensure energy security and affordability, where the council’s members have also adopted renewable energy sources, as evident from their national development plans,” he added.