Manama (UNA-OIC) – Bahraini Foreign Minister Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani held a joint press conference with US Defense Secretary Lloyd James Austin, who was on a visit to the Kingdom of Bahrain.
The US Defense Secretary held meetings with King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa. The two sides discussed the developments unfolding in Afghanistan and their potential spillover on regional security and stability.
Austin stressed his country’s appreciation for Bahrain’s support to humanitarian efforts to evacuate people who transited the Kingdom before heading to the United States, which showed the importance of joint cooperation between the two countries.
The two sides also reiterated the importance of their strategic cooperation, particularly in the defense, military and humanitarian fields. They noted US-Bahrain’s role in supporting peace, security and stability in the Arabian Gulf region and the Middle East.
The US Defense Secretary also congratulated the Bahraini monarch on signing the Abraham Peace Accords, stressing the importance of the agreement in supporting regional peace and stability.
Both parties discussed the importance of building on these agreements to further dialogue and coexistence in the region, stressing the importance of Mideast peace and stability for international security.
“Bahrain and the US reiterated their commitment to combat terrorism and target those who harbor terrorists,” said Dr. Al Zayani, adding that both sides attach great importance to their partnership.
Austin extended thanks to the King and the Crown Prince and Prime Minister for Bahrain’s support of the evacuation operations from Afghanistan. He noted the solid bilateral relations and underlined his keen interest to further strengthen defense partnership, reiterating thanks to Bahrain for hosting the US forces.
Noting his meeting with BDF Commander-in-Chief Field Marshal Shaikh Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, the US Defense Secretary hailed the support to the Allies Refuge operation and commitment to enhancing the US-Bahrain defense partnership.
Austin said that he had also met with members of Taskforce 58 who worked in tandem with the Bahrain Defence Force to facilitate the evacuation operations from Afghanistan via the Kingdom.
