HRH the Crown Prince emphasised the strategic importance of relations between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the United States of America not least through ongoing defence co-ordination and co-operation. HRH the Crown Prince paid tribute to The US Navy’s collaborative efforts to safeguard security in the region as well as monitoring and protecting international maritime routes in the Arabian Gulf.
Secretary Hagel underscored the importance of the defense relationship, which is the foundation of the nearly seven-decade US-Bahrain bilateral partnership. Secretary Hagel thanked HRH the Crown Prince for Bahrain’s hosting of US Fifth Fleet headquarters and support to thousands of Department of Defense personnel and their families deployed to Bahrain.
Secretary Hagel congratulated HRH the Crown Prince on his appointment as first deputy prime minister and indicated he looked forward to working with the crown prince in his new capacity to expand cooperation between the two nations.
HRH the Crown Prince and Secretary Hagel discussed specific areas relating to ongoing military and defence co-operation between the two countries. Both expressed satisfaction regarding the extent of current joint operations and noted their vital importance to the region’s security and stability. HRH the Crown Prince and Secretary Hagel also agreed that this could be further enhanced, both bilaterally and with other GCC nations.
They also discussed several key issues in both the region and further afield, emphasising the importance of reviewing ways to enhance stability in the wider Middle East.