HRH Premier receives a British parliamentary delegation

Manama, Apr. 13. (BNA) –His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa has affirmed Bahrain's strong resolve to carry on its development and progress and contribute to building and developing the world. "However, some sides are, unfortunately, unhappy with what we have achieved regarding development and reform," he said, stressing the kingdom's unwavering determination to go ahead with its efforts to bring about more progress and prosperity for its people. This came as HRH Premier received, at the Gudaibiya Palace today, a delegation from the British Labour Party's members of the House of Commons and Lords, led by Lord Gulam Noon, in the presence of the Representatives Council Speaker Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Dhahrani and First Deputy Speaker Abdulla bin Khalaf Al-Dossary. The Prime Minister welcomed the visit, and highlighted its importance in boosting bilateral cooperation and the deep-rooted friendly relations bonding the two kingdoms in all fields. He stressed the importance of consolidating understanding and interaction among peoples all over the world in order to remove all potential obstacles that may impede efforts to promote security and stability world-wide. "The world is going through a critical phase in which turmoil and chaos prevail, which requires a collective international effort to promote and foster peace on the bases of the principles of international law and respect of human rights," he said. He affirmed that the long-standing Bahraini-UK relations have always been solid thanks to the strong bonds between the two friendly peoples, and their shared stances towards many regional and global issues. HRH Premier welcomed the steady growth of bilateral relations, particularly in the economic, investment and trade fields, which, he said, reflects their common desire to constantly upgrade them. He underlined the importance of parliamentary and popular diplomacy in achieving rapprochement between the two countries, expressing hope that the visit will yield fruitful results that meet the expectations of the two friendly peoples. Members of the British delegation congratulated HRH Premier on the honourable record of landmark political, economic and social achievements attained by the kingdom throughout its democratic march. They expressed admiration of HRH Premier's outstanding grasp of affairs, wisdom, experience and statesmanship. They lauded the advanced level of Bahraini-British relations at all levels, and praised HRH Premier's great interest in boosting those ties in all fields. They highlighted the importance of the visit in providing a platform to discuss ways of bolstering bilateral relations in the political and economic fields. After the meeting, Lord Clive Soley made the following statement: "We've just had a very useful meeting with HRH the Prime Minister and we've discussed very close links between Britain and Bahrain. We've also discussed the importance of Bahrain continuing to be a beacon of change in the region and we're impressed by what is being achieved. We know that you've been through a difficult period, but also we know that the changes are coming about; and one of the things we discussed is the way the United Kingdom and Bahrain can stay in touch and keep the links we've had for 200 years now. In order to make sure we have a stable and prosperous Bahrain in a difficult region of the world you must continue to make the progress that you're making and we'll support you in any way that we can. "We're very impressed with HRH the Prime Minister. He seems to have a very good grasp of affairs. He's got a lot of experience and I think we need to listen to what he has to say; and we intend to do so." W H Q