UK ties to the fore

Shaikh Fawaz bin Mohamed Al Khalifa has presented his credentials to Queen Elizabeth II as the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the Court of St James, at Buckingham Palace.

During his audience with Queen Elizabeth on Wednesday, Shaikh Fawaz conveyed greetings from His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Prime Minister HRH Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa and Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, to the Queen, wishing her country’s government and people further progress and prosperity.

At the ceremony of induction, the Queen wished His Majesty the King, the government and the people of Bahrain further progress and prosperity, stressing keenness on strengthening cooperation in all fields.

The Queen wished the ambassador success in his new diplomatic duties to bolster bilateral relations, affirming the importance of enhancing joint ties between the two nations and people. 

The ambassador then hosted a reception at his residence, which was attended by members of the Bahrain Ruling Family, British and Bahraini officials, members of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, parliamentarians, members of the diplomatic society in London, and a number of friends of the ambassador and the Kingdom of Bahrain.

In his speech at the reception, the Ambassador lauded the strong and deeply-rooted links between Bahrain and the United Kingdom, based on a shared history and mutual respect. 

He pointed out that the first formal agreement between Bahrain and the UK was signed in 1821 and also noted that 2016 would see celebrations to mark the bicentennial of relations between Bahrain and the UK. 

He commented that the personal friendship between Queen Elizabeth and His Majesty the King was symbolic of the depth of the friendship between the two countries and respective people.

Shaikh Fawaz also emphasised the shared commitment of the two governments in fighting the scourge of terrorism, which is a threat not only in the Middle East, but globally.

The Ambassador also paid tributes to the ties between Bahrain and the UK in a number of fields, including educational and business, as demonstrated by the large UK community in Bahrain, and the number of Bahrainis visiting and studying in the UK.

Shaikh Fawaz concluded his address by expressing his appreciation for the warmth he received in London and for the opportunity he got in meeting members of the government, and representatives of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.