Manama, Aug.4 (BNA): His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa will tomorrow head to Egypt to attend the inauguration of the new Suez Canal on Thursday at the invitation of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Egyptian Ambassador to Bahrain Essam Saleh Awad hailed the visit which, he said, reflects strong relations bonding the two countries.

In a statement to Bahrain News Agency (BNA), he paid tribute to HM the King, describing him as the most supportive Arab leader to Egypt. He stressed the importance of the royal visit, as Egypt celebrates the opening of the new strategic water artery, which epitomizes long-standing relations bonding Manama and Cairo.

Awad lauded the King’s steadfast supportive stances ever since President al-Sisi assumed power, pointing out his participation in the International Economic Forum, as well as the Arab Summit, which was held in Sharm El Sheikh last march.

He highlighted the participation of the Egyptian navy and air force in the past months in the joint military drill “Hamad 1”, adding that new editions of the exercise “Hamad 2” and “Hamad 3” would be held. He stressed continuous coordination between President al-Sisi and HM the King regarding Arab and Islamic issues as well as regional and international developments, particularly the scourge of terrorism.

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BNA 1818 GMT 2015/08/04