Bahrain's foreign minister calls on Zardari

Bahrain's Foreign Minister Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmed al-Khalifa on Tuesday called on President Asif Ali Zardari at the Aiwan-e-Sadr. Ambassador of Bahrain to Pakistan Mohammad Ebrahim Mohammad Abdul Qadir also accompanied the foreign minister.
Those who attended the meeting included M Salman Faruqui, Secretary General to the President, Hina Rabbani Khar, MOS for Foreign Affairs, Malik Asif Hayat, secretary to the President, Salman Bashir, Foreign Secretary and Spokesperson to the President Farhatullah Babar.
Farhatullah Babar said that current regional issues and Pak-Bahrain bilateral relations were discussed during the meeting. The President said that Pakistan highly values its relations with the brotherly Muslim country Bahrain and emphasised upon further enhancing relations between the two countries.
About the present situation in Bahrain, which also came under discussion, Farhatullah Babar quoted the President as saying that Pakistan desired peace, security and stability in Bahrain and indeed in the whole of the Middle East. He said that Pakistan and the region is used to a very stable region and would not like its stability to be upset in any way. Pakistan believes that it will be dangerous for regional peace and stability if the system was destabilised one way or the other, he said.
The President said that although Bahrain was not endowed with abundant natural resources yet relatively it had a much higher per capita income largely due to the political and social stability that it has enjoyed under its leadership. The President said that it was important that restraint was exercised by all and violence and conflict avoided. He expressed the hope that the government and the people of Bahrain will soon be able to overcome all difficulties. Pakistan also welcomed the steps being taken for reconciliation in Bahrain the Spokesperson quoted the President as saying. The President also lauded the social and economic progress made by Bahrain under its leadership and said that Pakistan wished continued prosperity and stability of Bahrain and its people.
The Spokesperson said that the President noted with appreciation that the government and the people of Bahrain have always extended support to Pakistan in every hour of need including the deadly 2005 earthquake and the recent devastating floods in Pakistan.
Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmed al-Khalifa, Bahrain's Foreign Minister, thanked the President for meeting and expressed the hope that the existing close co-operation between the two countries would continue to grow. Sheikh Khaled also described Pakistan as "pillar of stability" in the region.-PR