Bahrain Ambassador in London hosts UK Home Secretary and GCC Ambassadors to UK

London, Aug. 25 (BNA): The Ambassador of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the United Kingdom, Shaikh Fawaz bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, hosted the UK Home Secretary, Priti Patel and the ambassadors of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries to the United Kingdom, where the meeting focused on issues of common security concern. The ambassadors conveyed the greetings of the GCC Interior Ministers and affirmed the longstanding GCC-UK relations. The Bahraini and the GCC ambassadors also welcomed the British government’s decision regarding the implementation of the new “Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA)” system that exempts Bahraini and GCC citizens from UK visa procedures. Security threats faced by GCC citizens residing and traveling to the UK were also discussed, where the ambassadors highlighted that the security and safety issue of GCC citizens is a top priority. They also shed light on the importance of developing a robust incident response plan. In this regard, the Gulf side discussed the importance of GCC-UK security cooperation in the fields of training, capacity building and exchange of experiences. For her part, Home Secretary Patel affirmed that the British security authorities maintain the security and safety of all by intensifying response efforts. She also emphasized the importance of expanding GCC-UK security cooperation.