Bahrain’s Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa affirmed that the Kingdom and the US would continue to boost their cooperation, reiterating the importance of pushing bilateral ties to advanced levels.
The Bahrain News Agency (BNA) said that during his official visit to the US, Crown Prince Salman received the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken.
During the meeting, Prince Salman lauded the relations between Bahrain and the United States, saying they brought about an ongoing strategic partnership that has strengthened regional and global security, peace, stability, and development.
The Crown Prince underscored the importance of peaceful and diplomatic ways to resolve various global issues. He discussed with Blinken bilateral relations and ways to develop cooperation and increase coordination between the two countries.
Prince Salman noted the importance of the Strategic Dialogue held between Bahrain and the United States, which aims to enhance regional security, prosperity, and economic and trade development, reinforcing the strategic partnership between the two nations.
At the meeting, the officials reviewed existing longstanding relations and explored further cooperation and coordination. They also discussed regional and international issues and developments of common interest.
For his part, the US Secretary stressed the importance of pushing the Bahraini-US relations towards broader horizons at various levels, praising Manama’s support and partnership on multiple issues as an essential strategic non-NATO ally, especially those related to security and stability.
On Monday, the Secretary of State and Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Abdullatif al-Zayani, launched the second US-Bahrain Strategic Dialogue.
Meanwhile, US State Department spokesman Ned Price announced in a statement on Wednesday that Blinken met with Bahrain’s Crown Prince in Washington, and they welcomed the launch of the second US-Bahrain Strategic Dialogue.
Price said the two officials discussed a range of bilateral and regional policy matters, including joint peace and security initiatives, economic cooperation, and steps to advance human rights.
They also addressed Russia’s “unjustified” attack against Ukraine.
Secretary Blinken commended Bahrain for voting in favor of the UN General Assembly resolution condemning Russia’s war on Ukraine.
The Secretary also thanked the Crown Prince for Bahrain’s contribution in facilitating the safe transit of evacuees from Afghanistan and commended Bahrain for advancing its ties with Israel under the Abraham Accords.
Later, the Crown Prince met with the US Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, at the Pentagon. They discussed the military and defense partnership which spans 75 years.
They also addressed issues of common interest and the importance of enhancing defense cooperation and coordination to support international efforts to strengthen security, stability, and development.
