His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, today met the U.S. Vice President, Mike Pence. During the meeting, His Royal Highness and the Vice President welcomed the enduring strength of bilateral relations between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the United States. His Royal Highness noted that the nations’ shared economic and security interests are built upon shared values of openness, freedom and coexistence. 

The Crown Prince and Vice President reviewed the security challenges currently faced by the Middle East region, agreeing that the U.S.-Bahrain relationship remains central to both countries’ ability to address regional threats, such as those posed by the Iranian regime and warped terrorist ideologies.

The Crown Prince welcomed the 70 years of defence cooperation between the two nations, stating that the strength of the partnership is also evidenced by the long-standing U.S. naval facility in Bahrain. His Royal Highness and Vice President also discussed joint initiatives including Bahrain’s leading role in countering illicit funding of terrorist groups. They noted the vital collaboration between the Central Bank of Bahrain and U.S. authorities to cut off funding for a range of such groups, including the likes of Da’esh and its affiliates. 

The Crown Prince emphasised that the decade-old U.S.-Bahrain Free Trade Agreement has facilitated huge uplifts in opportunities and private sector growth generated by tariff-free, two-way trade. Further, His Royal Highness and the Vice President signed the agreement to acquire F-16 fighter jets for Bahrain, which forms a vital component of the Bahrain Defence Force’s combat readiness strategy.