Manama, 4 July 2022 (TDI): The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bahrain, Dr. Abdulatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani, received the Minister for Asia and the Middle East, Amanda Milling, at the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), in Bahrain.

At the meeting in Manama, Dr. Abdulatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani praised the solid, longstanding partnership between the two countries.

He also appreciated the recent joint statement between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the UK on the launch of the Free Trade Agreement negotiations between the two countries.

Dr. Abdulatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani also expressed the Kingdom’s appreciation towards the launch of the UK’s electronic travel permit system. This system will be launched at the beginning of next year.

Furthermore, he praised the cooperation between the two friendly countries at various levels. Amanda Milling also praised the strong bilateral relationship between the two countries.

She highlighted the importance of building and strengthening economic partnerships in various fields to boost cooperation.

Bahrain-Britain economic cooperation

Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, Minister of Finance and Economy of Bahrain, also attended the meeting.

He congratulated the United Kingdom’s Minister on the success of their 14th meeting of the Bahraini-British Ministerial Working Group.

Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa affirmed the depth of ties between the two countries. He stressed the importance of continued development.

He said both countries should look for more ambitious investment opportunities to strengthen the Bahraini-British partnership. This would also benefit the common interests of both countries and their people.

In addition, he also pointed to the previous bilateral achievements between the two countries. He added that previous achievements should be built upon to open new horizons and achieve common goals.

Bahrain’s economic growth since the COVID-19 pandemic was also discussed. Potential economic investment opportunities and the significance of the UK-GCC Free Trade Agreement were also deliberated.

Amanda Milling expressed her gratitude for the warm welcome. She said she is pleased to know more about the “ongoing work with the Bahrain government.”