CP MEETS CLINTON

CROWN PRINCE AND DEPUTY SUPREME COMMANDER SHAIKH SALMAN BIN HAMAD AL KHALIFA TODAY MET IN WASHINGTON WITH US SECRETARY OF STATE HILLARY CLINTON WHO HAILED THE CLOSE BAHRAINI US TIES AND THE KEY ROLE BAHRAIN PLAYS IN ITS REGIONAL AND ARAB SURROUNDINGS.

SHAIKH SALMAN AND CLINTON EXPRESSED HOPE TO CONTINUE THE STRATEGIC DIALOGUE BETWEEN BOTH  COUNTRIES WHICH SERVED OVER THE PAST YEARS AS A FRAMEWORK TO DISCUSS JOINT CHALLENGES AND INTERESTS.

THEY ALSO EXCHANGED VIEWS ON THE MIDDLE EAST, INCLUDING IRAN, UNDERLING THE NEED FOR TEHRAN TO RESPOND TO THE US CALL FOR DIALOGUE AND TO LIVE UP TO ITS PLEDGES TOWARDS THE INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY ( IAEA).

THEY ALSO STRESSED ON THE NEED FOR THE PALESTINIANS AND ISRAELIS TO REMAIN COMMITTED TO THE INTERNATIONAL LEGITIMACY AND TO ACCEPT  THE TWO-STATE SOLUTION AS WELL AS TO FOLLOW THE EXAMPLE OF THE ARAB MINISTERS OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS WHO PLEDGED TO BACK UP THE US PEACE ENDEAVORS.

REGARDING TEHRAN’S LAST DEVELOPMENTS, SHAIKH SALMAN AND CLINTON AGREED TO MAINTAIN DIPLOMATIC INTERACTION WITH IRAN AND NOT TO INTEREFERE IN ITS INTERNAL DISPUTE OVER THE RESULTS  OF THE LAST PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS.

WITH REGARD TO IRAQ, THE US SECRETARY OF STATE AFFIRMED THE US DESIRE TO SEE THE COUNTRY ENJOY  SECURITY, STABILITY AND SOVEREIGNTY OVER ALL ITS TERRITORIES, REITERATING THE US COMMITMENT TO ITS PLEDGES WITH REGARD TO  ASSISTANCE AND MILITARY TRAINING.

ON HIS PART, THE CROWN PRINCE REITERATED BAHRAIN’S SUPPORT FOR IRAQ TO HELP IT REINFORCE ITS STABILITY.