Pressmediaofindia
Related Articles
16-02-2022
MANAMA: Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has met Bahrain’s king on a landmark visit to the oil-rich Gulf country, 17 months after they established relations under a 2020 US-sponsored deal based in part on shared concerns about Iran.
Bennett was making a one-day visit on Tuesday to the island kingdom, the first by an Israeli leader.
He was greeted by Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, who also serves as the kingdom’s prime minister, and a military colour guard at Manama’s Gudaibiya Palace. He told the crown prince that he came “with a spirit of goodwill, of cooperation, of standing together against mutual challenges”.
Bennett also met several government ministers and discussed the need for greater economic cooperation. “We want to fill this relationship with substance in energy, in drive, in economy, in tourism and in the regional architecture,” he said.
“We must do more to get to know one another and build upon the Abraham Accords, which have been such a historic agreement,” the crown prince said, referring to the US-brokered deal.
Bahrain’s king welcomed Bennett’s visit and emphasised the importance of strengthening the bilateral partnership in light of the so-called Abraham Accords, said the official Bahrain News Agency.
The king and Israeli prime minister “underlined keenness on further promoting bilateral relations and joint work to serve common interests as well as regional security, stability and development”, it reported.
In recent months, as tensions with Iran have soared, the two new allies have intensified military cooperation.
Contentious issue
Bennett met the fleet commander, Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, during his stop in Manama. Bennett’s office said the fleet “is a significant element in maintaining regional stability in the face of various security threats.”
It did not mention Iran specifically but Israel has made no secret of its concerns about Iranian naval activities across the region.
Israel has stepped up its naval presence in the Red Sea after a series of attacks on commercial ships with links to Israel, which it blamed on Iran. (Int’l News Desk)
