Ambassador to US highlights Bahrain's commitment to peace, stability

Washington, Nov. 19 (BNA): His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa's vision regarding peaceful coexistence in the Kingdom and the region has played a fundamental role in Bahrain's important historical step to sign the declaration to support peace with Israel, Bahrain's Ambassador to the US Shaikh Abdullah bin Rashid Al Khalifa has said. “His Majesty the King was keen to support the progress of security and peace in the region, as one of the pillars of economic stability," Shaikh Abdullah said during a seminar hosted by the Economic Club of Washington. The UAE and Israel ambassadors also participated in the first public event that brought together the diplomats of the three countries. Shaikh Abdullah responded to questions raised following the declaration to support peace signed by Bahrain and Israel and indicated that the Kingdom took the step in consultation with its allies in the region and outside based on the conviction that Bahrain was on the right track. The ambassador said that the discussions with Israel resulted in signing memoranda of understanding and pointed out that the Kingdom is developing rapidly through the diversification of its income resources and its advanced vision in developing entrepreneurship and small and medium enterprises. As part of its commitment to combating the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Bahrain has carried out 1.8 million tests, a figure that surpasses the number of citizens and residents living in the Kingdom, he said. He said that Bahrain was the first country in the region where oil was discovered in 1932 and that large quantities were discovered in 2018, adding that the Kingdom looks forward to cooperating with American institutions and partners in this regard. The ambassador touched on the Iranian role to destabilize the region. He said that in case a new agreement is signed with Iran, the United States should go beyond Tehran's ballistic missiles program and take into consideration all the challenges posed by Iran to the countries of the region in the past 40 years, including supporting terrorism, spreading ideology and hegemony aspirations.