Moscow, Apr30(BNA) His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister today met with the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow.
His Royal Highness expressed his appreciation to the Russian President for his support to the strengthening of bilateral ties. His Royal Highness also conveyed His Majesty King Hamad’s keen interest in strengthening ties with Russia, in addition to his wishes of continual development and prosperity for the Russian Federation and its people.
His Royal Highness noted that a series of agreements and MOUs have been signed during his working visit to Russia. He said the deals demonstrate Bahrain’s commitment to enhancing trade and investment links with Russia, and the wider Eurasian region. His Royal Highness also expressed his deep admiration for Russia’s cultural heritage and civilisation.
For his part, President Putin praised the ongoing political relations between Bahrain and Russia. He welcomed the visit of His Royal Highness and highlighted Russia’s interest in exploring effective means of coordination and further enhancing bilateral ties. President Putin also asked His Royal Highness to pass on his regards to His Majesty King Hamad.
The meeting also covered a number of regional issues. In this regard, His Royal Highness stressed the need to maintain security and stability in the Middle East. Other significant regional and international developments were also discussed.
The meeting formed part of the working visit of His Royal Highness Prince to the Russian Federation at the invitation of Russian Prime Minister, Dimitry Medvedev. Several MOUs and agreements were signed between Russia and Bahrain during the visit including:
1. Reciprocal protection of investment between the two countries
2. An MOU between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Russian Civil Aviation Authority to allow direct flight routes between Bahrain to Moscow
3. An MOU between Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company and the Russian Direct Investment Funds (RDIF) to facilitate enhanced coordination and trade between the two countries.
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BNA 1903 GMT 2014/04/30