Prince Salman receives British permanent undersecretary

His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, Deputy of His Majesty the King and Crown Prince today stressed resolve to make the national interest a top priority and undertake steps to address the aftermath of recent events in Bahrain. Receiving British Foreign Office Permanent Under-Secretary Simon Fraser at Riffa Palace, HRH Prince Salman cited initiatives which have been undertaken to reach this goal. He paid tribute to His Majesty the King for his directives to continue the march and build on gains in order to achieve ambitions and meet the aspirations of Bahrain and its people for more development and progress. He urged all parties to work together in good faith and understand the situation in deep insight in order to overcome obstacles and reach viable solutions. The Deputy King, HRH the Crown Prince, thanked the UK for its friendly stance and support for Bahrain's efforts to find solutions and address the aftermath of last year's event. The two sides discussed regional developments, stressing the necessity to maintain the stability and security of the Arabian Gulf and steer this highly-strategic region away from any polarization or tensions. They also spotlighted recent developments in Gaza Strip, hoping success for the ceasefire reached last night. In this regard, The Deputy King, HRH the Crown Prince, underscored the importance of addressing the precarious humanitarian situation in Gaza. On his part, Mr. Fraser reiterated his country's stance encouraging Bahrain's efforts to contain the aftermath of last year's events, affirming cooperation to achieve more progress in this respect. The meeting was attended by Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Khalifa, HRH Crown Prince's Court Chief Shaikh Khalifa bin Daij Al-Khalifa and British Ambassador to Bahrain Iain Lindsay. Mr. Fraser is on visit to the Kingdom of Bahrain as part of a tour which took him to several countries in the region.