King Hamad Bin Eisa Al Khalifa begins on Sunday a four-day visit to Malaysia, the first by a Bahraini ruler to Kuala Lumpur since the establishment of diplomatic relations 43 years ago.

King Hamad will be accorded a full-fledged state welcoming ceremony at Parliament House on May 1 and will hold talks with Sultan Muhammad V followed by a state banquet at Istana Negara, Malaysia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Reezal Merican Naina Merican said.

On May 2, King Hamad will have a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Najib Razak, to be followed by both leaders witnessing the signing of several memoranda of understanding (MoU).

Reezal Merican said the two countries enjoyed close diplomatic ties and the visit would increase cooperation between the two in various fields, especially that overall trade relations were rather modest.

Bahrain’s Information Affairs Minister Ali Bin Mohammad Al Romaihi said the visit would be “a great impetus for the growing political and economic partnership between the two countries built on bonds of friendship, mutual respect and constant keenness on supporting just Islamic issues”.

“I am optimistic about the outcome of the Bahrain-Malaysian meetings as they will consolidate the political and strategic cooperation, which has been growing steadily since diplomatic ties were established in 1974,” he said in comments carried by Bernama, the Malaysian news agency.

“Our people and our leaders deeply value the steady and fraternal Malaysian stances supporting the security and stability, development progress and democratic practices of Bahrain, siding with the kingdom in protecting its Gulf and Arab security and in rejecting foreign interference in its domestic affairs.”

New agreements and Memorandum of Understanding to be signed during the visit will complement the existing bilateral accords in the cultural, scientific, economic and commercial areas, he added.

“The historic visit of King Hamad and the high-level official delegation to Kuala Lumpur will also strengthen bilateral strategic cooperation and partnership, open wider horizons for the exchange of technical, scientific and technological expertise as well as boost security and military coordination,” he said.

“I am particularly proud of the fact that both Bahrain and Malaysia are leading models in enhancing the values of tolerance and moderation, rejecting extremism and terrorism, supporting dialogue and peaceful coexistence among civilisations, cultures and religions, supporting just Islamic issues, backing regional and international security efforts and providing humanitarian and disaster relief assistance,” he said.

Al Romaihi added he was especially keen on strengthening media cooperation with Malaysia, through the exchange of information, news and technical expertise.

“I am also interested in strengthening coordination in Islamic, Asian and international forums, enhancing the role of media serving humanity and supporting sustainable development, and addressing the phenomenon of Islamophobia through spreading the values of tolerance and moderation in Islam, and countering provocative calls for religious hatred, racism and incitement to violence and terrorism,” he said.

Bahrain also looked forward to closer economic cooperation with Malaysia and to benefiting from its highly successful international experiences through motivating joint ventures, increasing the volume of trade exchange and promoting eco-tourism, he added.

source : GULF NEWS