HM King receives senior state officials, diplomats

Manama, May 7 (BNA): His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa All Khalifa received, in the presence of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, senior officials who offered their best wishes on the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan and their prayers for HM the King’s steady health and Bahrain’s progress and achievements. HM the King greeted his guests and delivered the following speech. “In the name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate, Peace and God’s mercy and blessing be upon you It gives us great pleasure to congratulate you on the beginning of the blessed month of Ramadan and to pray for many returns of this auspicious occasion with more blessings. We appreciate your noble sentiments and your genuine prayers on the beginning of the month of blessings and good deeds. On these blessed nights, the highest values of human contacts and solidarity among all on the land of Bahrain, the land of civilization and leadership, become more obvious, reflecting the approach of the founding fathers and the continuation of the loyal sons, thus creating a national identity with a deep-rooted originality. We will continue to be, with the help of God, an interconnected and compassionate Bahraini family, and Bahrain will continue to be the Kingdom of stability and security, the homeland of coexistence and tolerance, with its long bridges and ties with all civilizations and cultures, which supports support the stability of our regional environment and protect our global security. In this regard, we reaffirm the commitment of the Kingdom of Bahrain to its long-standing positions with the brothers in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the Arab Republic of Egypt to all steps and measures to safeguard the security and stability of the region. Foremost of which is that Qatar stop the support and funding of terrorism and meet the conditions that have been announced and stipulated in the agreements reached in this framework and all the associated fair demands. We would like to express our thanks and appreciation for the hard work and effort exerted by the parliament in its ongoing cooperation with the government. The Parliament's approval of the general budget today and the previous meetings and exchanges of views confirm the steadfastness of the Kingdom's policies and steps in order to consolidate the pillars of state institutions and law. We would like to thank our brothers in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the State of Kuwait for their continued support for the development efforts of the Kingdom of Bahrain, which reflects the depth of historical brotherly ties based on unity and common destiny. We ask the Almighty God to return the blessed month of Ramadan to our people and residents on our land and to the Arab and Islamic nations with blessings. Peace and God’s mercy and blessings be upon you.” HM the King also received the heads of the diplomatic missions accredited to the Kingdom, who conveyed to His Majesty the greetings of their leaders and their best wishes on the holy month of Ramadan and for blessed returns of the auspicious occasion for Hm the King, Bahrain and Bahrainis. They expressed their appreciation of HM the King’s efforts in strengthening Bahrain's relations with their countries and promoting them to wider horizons of cooperation and joint action. HM the King exchanged greetings and wishes with the diplomats and hailed Bahrain’s strong relations with their countries. HM the King expressed his appreciation of the good efforts exerted by the diplomats to develop cooperation between Bahrain and their countries and the keenness to achieve shared goals and aspirations. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, lauded HM the King’s speech and affirmed that HM the King has always welcomed and greeted senior officials in the Kingdom on the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan. Shaikh Khalid said that HM the King praised the efforts of the parliament to strengthen cooperation with the executive branch, which is reflected in the adoption by the House of Representatives of the state budget and the meetings that preceded it with the executive branch in the service of the homeland and citizens. The minister added that HM the King affirmed Bahrain's firm commitment alongside Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt to achieve security and stability in the region and to meet all challenges without exception, especially the challenge of the Qatari crisis. He stressed that Qatar's support for extremism and terrorism and its efforts to undermine the security and stability of the region represents a dangerous challenge to the safety of the states of the region. HM the King was clear that Bahrain will remain steadfast in its original positions stemming from its concern for the security and stability of the region, Shaikh Khalid stressed, pointing out the Qatari regime’s adherence to the 2013 and 2014 Riyadh Accords and all associated fair demands is the only way to resolve the crisis. Otherwise, Qatar is continuing its obstinacy and aggression against our countries and peoples, which we all reject as countries seeking to establish security and stability in the region and the world, Shaikh Khalid added. HM the King thanked the brothers in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait for their fraternal positions in support of development in Bahrain, which reflects their brotherly ties, common destiny and bonds based on a long history of mutual support and solidarity.