Bahrain-UK ties hailed

London, Dec. 3 (BNA): Shaikh Fawaz bin Mohamed Al Khalifa was received at Buckingham Palace, on Wednesday December 2 at a ceremony on the occasion of delivering his credentials to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, as Ambassador of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the Court of St James. During the audience with Her Majesty, His Excellency Shaikh Fawaz conveyed greetings from His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa, His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al-Khalifa and His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, Crown Prince, to Her Majesty the Queen, wishing her country's government and people further progress and prosperity. At the ceremony of induction, Her Majesty wished His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the government and people of Bahrain further progress and prosperity, stressing keenness on strengthening cooperation in all fields. Her Majesty wished the ambassador success in his new diplomatic duties to bolster bilateral relations, affirming the importance of enhancing joint ties between the two nations and people. The ambassador then hosted a vin d'honneur at his residence attended by members of the Bahrain Ruling Family, British and Bahraini officials, members of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, parliamentarians, members of the diplomatic society in London, and a number of friends of the ambassador and the Kingdom of Bahrain. In his speech at the reception, the ambassador lauded the strong and deeply rooted links between Bahrain and the United Kingdom, based on a shared history and mutual respect. He pointed out that the first formal agreement between Bahrain and the UK was signed in 1821 and also noted that 2016 will see celebrations to mark the bicentennial of relations between Bahrain and the UK. He commented that the personal friendship between Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and His Majesty King Hamad is symbolic of the depth of the friendship between the two countries and respective people. The ambassador also emphasised the shared commitment of the two governments to fighting the scourge of terrorism, which is a threat not only in the Middle East, but globally. The ambassador paid tribute to the ties between Bahrain and the UK in a number of fields, including educational and business, as demonstrated by the large UK community in Bahrain, and the number of Bahrainis visiting and studying in the UK. The ambassador concluded his address by expressing his appreciation for the warmth with which he had been received in London, and for the opportunity which he had had to meet members of the government, and representatives of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and expressed his belief that during his term as Ambassador, relations between the two governments and countries would continue to thrive, against a background of mutual respect and friendship that has and will continue to endure for generations to come.