HRH Crown Prince receives NATO Chief

His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander, said the  North Atlantic Treaty (NATO) has maintained a unique formula in its international mission combining military and politics and described NATO adoption of diplomacy and military options as a healthy phenomenon.

This came as HRH the Crown Prince received at Riffa Palace today vesting NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh and his accompanying delegation with whom he discussed NATO balanced policies and its positive contributions to world peace and security, expressing eagerness to deepen Bahrain-NATO relations in the future in line with the royal directives of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. On his part, Rasmussen lauded Bahrain’s key role in consolidating peace and security in the Gulf region describing it as effective, constructive and everlasting given the country’s regional and global credibility. He also expressed desire for further cooperation and coordination with the Kingdom of Bahrain. 

Then, HRH the Crown Prince was briefed on NATO’s perception of Gulf and international security conditions and invited to visit NATO Headquarters to learn about his security vision and benefit from his experience, especially that he is one of the most important leaders in the region to have crystallized dialogue among followers of different religions and peoples belonging to different civilizations. NATO Secretary General’s visit to Bahrain is taking place within its endeavors to activate Istanbul Cooperation Initiative which was launched in 2004 to ensure peace and security in the Middle East through cooperation. Four Gulf States, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and UAE have enjoyed the initiative.

Crown Prince’s Court Head Shaikh Khalifa bin Daij Al Khalifa also attended.