Manama: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman arrived in Bahrain on Sunday evening on the second leg of a regional tour and held talks with King Hamad Bin Eisa Al Khalifa.The talks at the Sakhir airbase were attended by Prime Minister Prince Khalifa Bin Salman Al Khalifa and Crown Prince Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
King Hamad highlighted the significance of the visit and the special ties binding Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
King Hamad bestowed the Shaikh Eisa Bin Salman Al Khalifa of the excellence class on Prince Mohammad in appreciation of his efforts to consolidate relations between the two kingdom countries.
Ways to enhance bilateral ties across several fields and the latest regional and international developments were reviewed at the talks.
King Hamad hosted a dinner banquet in honour of the Saudi crown prince, the agency added.
Prince Mohammad began his tour on Thursday with a visit to Abu Dhabi.
A royal court statement in Manama had said that the Saudi crown prince and King Hamad will discuss the “deep-rooted fraternal and historic relations binding the two brotherly countries and peoples, in addition to (the) latest regional, Arab and international developments”.
Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid Bin Ahmad Al Khalifa said the visit “highlights the two Kingdoms’ approach based on continuous communication and coordination at all levels regarding all issues and in various forums”.
He said: “The visit confirms that Saudi Arabia will remain, as it has always been, supportive of Bahrain’s efforts towards achieving further accomplishments and development in all areas.”
Taking ties forward
He reiterated “Bahrain’s support to Saudi Arabia to continue its pioneering role in defending the issues of the Arab and Islamic nations and reinforcing regional and international peace and security.”
Bahraini newspapers dedicated pages to highlight the close ties between the two neighbours, while several companies placed large ads to welcome the Saudi Crown Prince. One daily changed its masthead’s colour from blue to green, the Saudi flag’s colour.
Prince Mohammad is on a multi-country visit ahead of his participation in the G20 Summit in Argentina on Nov-ember 30.
The Saudi news agency had said that the Crown Prince would be visiting Arab countries in the region, but did not name them.
He is also set to travel to the Tunisian capital Tunis tomorrow, Nour Al Deen Bin Ticha, adviser to the Presidency said.
“Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman is welcome in Tunisia, like other Arab leaders. The President of the Republic, Beji Qaid Al Sebsi has, since his accession to the supreme office, been consolidating bilateral relations with brother and friendly countries,” Ben Ticha was quoted by the Tunisian official news agency as saying.
He affirmed the importance of Saudi Arabia’s role in the region and recalled the “solid historical ties between Tunisia and Saudi Arabia.”
‘Brotherly relations’
Prince Mohammad’s first visit to the UAE, where he was accorded a grand welcome, was praised by Saudi Information Minister Awwad Bin Saleh Al Awwad as a confirmation of the genuine friendship and bonds between the two countries.
“The visit [to the UAE] is a continuation of the consultation and exchange of views on many issues of interest to the two leaderships and the two brotherly peoples,” Al Awwad said. “It also reinforces the coordination of their common positions for the prosperity of the two countries and the Arab and Islamic region.”
