Bahrain-US defence agreement extended
Manama : The United States and the Kingdom of Bahrain yesterday extended the defence cooperation agreement (DCA).
The extension of the DCA was signed on the sidelines of a meeting with His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, and the U.S. Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, at the Department of State. U.S. Secretary of Defence, Jim Mattis, took part in the signing ceremony held at the Pentagon.
Earlier, the Crown Prince and the Secretary of State met at the US States Department. Both reviewed efforts to maintain stability in the region, including Bahrain’s active military role in combatting terrorist groups, and the Kingdom’s hosting of over 30 regional and international security partners under the Combined Task Forces.
HRH Crown Prince praised the U.S.’ valuable support to Bahrain’s security to assist counter-terrorism operations.
The Crown Prince welcomed and underscored the importance of continued cooperation between Bahrain and the U.S. on areas of shared concern. His Royal Highness acknowledged the importance of the U.S. Administration’s ongoing engagement with Bahrain and its allies, noting that enhanced relations between the U.S. and the Kingdom are supporting regional security.
“The defence cooperation represents the cornerstone of long-standing bilateral relations between the two countries,” stated HRH Crown Prince.
“The extension of the Bahrain-U.S. DCA signals the next phase in a strategic partnership that has underpinned bilateral ties for over 70 years,” His Royal Highness noted, lauding Bahrain-U.S.’ alignment on various international security issues. HRH Crown Prince and the Secretary of Defence also reviewed ways of advancing defence cooperation across a number of areas. HRH Crown Prince welcomed President Trump’s unequivocal stance regarding Iran’s interference in the region and its sponsorship of terrorism on the global level.
The Crown Prince noted that Bahrain remains deeply concerned about the consistent level of terrorist activity in the region, which indicates increased Iranian support.
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