Bahrain's Crown Prince Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, who is also the prime minister of the country, met on Wednesday with Indian Foreign Minister Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar here at Riffa Palace. During the meeting, the Indian foreign minister, who is on an official visit to the kingdom, conveyed the condolences of Indian President Ram Nath Kovind to Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and the crown prince on the passing of the late Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa. Bahrain's crown prince emphasized the strength of ties between Bahrain and India, noting that bilateral cooperation continues to accelerate across various sectors. The crown prince highlighted that exchanges of visits between Bahrain and India, on all levels, continue to underpin joint cooperation and collaboration, which in turn advances further development and prosperity for both countries and their people. The crown prince welcomed the ongoing cooperation and coordination between Bahrain and India in combatting COVID-19. The meeting also served as an opportunity to review the course of bilateral partnerships and methods to reinforce them. In this regard, Prince Salman reaffirmed the kingdom's commitment to bolstering Bahraini-Indian ties across various areas, which will contribute to increased investment and opportunities. The crown prince took time to highlight his appreciation for the role played by the Indian community within Bahrain, and their efforts contributing towards the Kingdom's economic development. Regional and international topics of common interest were also discussed during the meeting. For his part, Dr. Jaishankar expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to meet the crown prince and highlighted Prince Salman's ongoing support toward ever-expanding ties between Bahrain and India. Bahrain's Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al-Zayan and Finance Minister Sheikh Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, were also in attendance. Earlier in the day, the visiting foreign minister met with Bahrain's Deputy Prime Minister Shaikh Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa. On Tuesday, the Indian minister held a separate meeting with his Bahraini counterpart Al-Zayani. — SG
