Crown Prince meets UK Foreign Minister and stresses need to align regional and international efforts to resolve Syrian crisis

Manama, Oct.31 (BNA): His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, today met the British Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, His Excellency Philip Hammond on the sidelines of the 11th Manama Dialogue. During the meeting, His Royal Highness and Foreign Minister Hammond welcomed the deep and historic ties between Bahrain and the UK, which underpin the countries’ collaborative efforts in addressing a range of critical issues facing the region. His Royal Highness emphasised that the GCC-led coalition’s decisive military campaign in Yemen has helped advance security and stability in the country, and that a political agreement must now be pursued in order to resolve the conflict. His Royal Highness highlighted that the swift action applied to resolving the conflict in Yemen alongside close collaboration between members of the coalition has effectively helped to protect the country's sovereignty and its state institutions. In this regard, His Royal Highness praised the strategic partnership between the Bahrain Defence Force and the British Armed Forces which covers various areas including training and knowledge exchange. Addressing the current crisis in Syria, His Royal Highness stressed that the need for aligning regional and international efforts to resolve the crisis has never been greater, and that the dire humanitarian situation must be addressed as quickly as possible. The meeting also presented an opportunity to discuss the P5+1 nuclear deal with Iran. His Royal Highness noted that while Bahrain welcomes the deal, Iran’s continued interference in the Kingdom’s affairs seeks only to endanger security and stability in Bahrain and poses a serious threat to wider regional stability. His Royal Highness and Foreign Secretary Hammond then discussed the rise of violent extremism across the region and agreed that military cannot be the only solution, but that in parallel the international community must carry out social and economic development programmes which deliver hope, opportunity and prosperity to the people of the region. In conclusion, His Royal Highness welcomed the UK's positive engagement on Bahrain's domestic programme of reform, noting the UK's valuable expertise in the areas of oversight and institutional reform.