Deputy Premier receives French delegation

Manama, Apr. 19 (BNA)-- Deputy Prime Minister and Head of the Ministerial Committee for Reconstruction and Infrastructure Shaikh Khalid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa received at Gudaibiya Palace today a delegation from Expertise France and a number of French companies active in planning and urban development. He stressed the need to boost cooperation with France and avail of the experience of its companies in urban planning and infrastructure development. The French delegation's visit to Bahrain is within the framework of a follow-up on the outcome of a visit by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to France in August 2014 during which he met French President Francois Hollande. HM the King voiced Bahrain's keenness to form a Bahraini-French team to develop urban planning and infrastructure in Bahrain. The Deputy Premier lauded HM the King's farsighted vision which aims to steer Bahrain into the future on sound planning bases by imparting a contemporary feature that hamonises with the Bahraini authentic identity. The meeting was attended by Royal Court Follow-up Minister Shaikh Ahmed bin Atiyatallah Al Khalifa, Works, Municipality Affairs and Urban Planning Minister Essam bin Abdullah Khalaf, Housing Minister Bassim bin Yaqoob Al Hamer, French Ambassador to Bahrain Bernard Regnauld-Fabre and senior officials.