Bahrain and the US on Wednesday signed a new bilateral security and economic agreement, strengthening the relationship between the two allied nations.
The deal was announced as Bahrain's Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, who is also the country's Prime Minister, met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken during a State Department ceremony.
"This agreement will strengthen co-ordination between our armed forces and the integration of our intelligence capacities, allowing us to even better deter and respond to threats as they arise," said Mr Blinken.
The Comprehensive Security Integration and Prosperity Agreement is the “latest manifestation of the United States’ enduring commitment to Bahrain and to the region in support of peace and shared prosperity”, according to an official fact sheet.
The agreement could serve as a “cornerstone for co-operation” among a broader grouping of countries in the Middle East, the fact sheet noted.
The Crown Prince was also scheduled to meet National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin.
The agreement comes as part of a broad push by the Biden administration to strengthen ties with the Gulf.
Brett McGurk, Mr Biden's adviser on Middle East affairs, visited Bahrain last week, where he met Prince Salman and Bahraini officials.
The signing of the new agreement also follows the announcement at the G20 summit last week of a new trade route between India, the Middle East and Europe via a railway linked through ports – a project that the White House said would usher in a “new era of connectivity”.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman hailed the new project in a speech at the summit, and said the kingdom would invest $20 billion to advance it.
Bahrain, host to the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet, is a non-Nato allied nation and a crucial US partner in the region.
“I think signing this agreement is a milestone in the strategic partnership,” a senior Biden administration official told reporters.
“It incorporates a lot of what we've been working on here, throughout the region in a number of areas”, including defence, security, technology and trade.
Officials said the binding international agreement flowed from discussions that began during Prince Salman's visit to Washington last year, when he held a bilateral meeting with Vice President Kamala Harris. Since then, several senior US officials have travelled to Manana for talks.
Unlike Saudi Arabia, Bahrain has not restored ties with Iran, which were severed 2016. In June, Barbara Leaf, the US assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs, said Bahrain may restore ties “soon”.
A crucial aspect of the bilateral agreement is the promotion of “a common vision of deterrence, diplomacy, economic security”, the official said.
“It's a very strong arrangement in which it is the policy of both of us to work together to help deter and disrupt any external aggression against the territorial integrity of any of the parties,” the official added.
“It's really designed to further enable what has been a policy of deterrence against threats, but also a policy of proactive diplomacy to de escalate conflicts in the region.”
The Biden administration's agenda in the Middle East has been focused on expanding the Abraham Accords, the 2020 agreement the UAE and Bahrain signed with Israel, establishing relations.
Morocco and Sudan later signed similar agreements, and the US is now pushing for Saudi Arabia to negotiate its own deal with Israel.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final:
First leg: Liverpool 5 Roma 2
Second leg: Wednesday, May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
TV: BeIN Sports, 10.45pm (UAE)
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
RESULTS
5pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (Turf) 2,200m
Winner: M'A Yaromoon, Jesus Rosales (jockey), Khalifa Al Neydai (trainer)
5.30pm: Khor Al Baghal – Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner: No Riesgo Al Maury, Antonio Fresu, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
6pm: Khor Faridah – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner: JAP Almahfuz, Royston Ffrench, Irfan Ellahi
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh110,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: Mahmouda, Pat Cosgrave, Abdallah Al Hammadi
7pm: Abu Dhabi Colts Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh110,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: AS Jezan, George Buckell, Ahmed Al Mehairbi
7.30pm: Khor Laffam – Handicap (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m
Winner: Dolman, Antonio Fresu, Bhupath Seemar
MIDWAY
Produced: Lionsgate Films, Shanghai Ryui Entertainment, Street Light Entertainment
Directed: Roland Emmerich
Cast: Ed Skrein, Woody Harrelson, Dennis Quaid, Aaron Eckhart, Luke Evans, Nick Jonas, Mandy Moore, Darren Criss
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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When is VAR used?
• Goals
• Penalty decisions
• Direct red-card incidents
• Mistaken identity
DUBAI%20BLING%3A%20EPISODE%201
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Race%20card
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The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Read more from Aya Iskandarani
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
Easter%20Sunday
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'How To Build A Boat'
Jonathan Gornall, Simon & Schuster
