Finance
External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar met with his Bahraini counterpart, Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, in Manama on Monday to discuss bilateral ties and regional developments.
During the meeting, EAM Jaishankar thanked Bahrain’s leadership for safeguarding the well-being of the Indian community there.
“Delighted to meet FM Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani of Bahrain in Manama today. Expressed deep appreciation for ensuring the well-being of the Indian community. Discussed deepening our bilateral cooperation. Exchanged views on ongoing developments in the region,” EAM Jaishankar wrote on X after the meeting.
EAM Jaishankar arrived in Bahrain after wrapping up his activities in Qatar. During his visit to Doha, he met Qatar’s Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, and spoke with representatives from the Indian community in Qatar.
This is the second destination on EAM Jaishankar’s six-nation tour. After his engagements in Bahrain, he plans to visit Kuwait, Oman, the United States, and Brussels.
On March 2, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke by phone with Bahrain’s King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa, condemning the attacks and expressing support with the country’s people. PM Modi also praised Bahrain’s King for his unwavering support of the country’s Indian minority.
“Had a productive telephone conversation with the King of Bahrain, His Majesty King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa. India condemns the attacks on Bahrain and stands in solidarity with its people in this difficult hour. I thank him for the steadfast support extended to the Indian community in Bahrain,” PM Modi posted on X after the phone call.
The two leaders spoke during the West Asian crisis, which began in February with combined US-Israeli strikes on Iran aiming at reducing Tehran’s missile capabilities and overall military infrastructure. The first wave of the operation killed prominent Iranian leaders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, sparking a massive response from Tehran in the form of drone and missile attacks on US facilities, regional capitals, and coalition forces around the Gulf.
According to a statement from the Indian Embassy in Bahrain, India and Bahrain have outstanding bilateral relations that are distinguished by warm political, economic, cultural, and people-to-people relationships. Presence of more than 3,15,000 Indian nationals who comprise nearly a quarter of the total population of 1.5 million in Bahrain is an important anchor of bilateral ties.
Source: IANS
