From Nik Nurfaqih Nik Wil
MANAMA (BAHRAIN), Feb 19 -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim arrived here early this morning for an official visit to Bahrain under the invitation of Bahrain’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman Hamad Al Khalifa.
The aircraft carrying the prime minister landed at Bahrain International Airport at 12.45 am (5.45 am Malaysian time).
Anwar, accompanied by Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Dr Zulkifli Hasan and senior government officers, was then greeted with a static guard of honour as a gesture of Bahrain’s warm welcome.
Anwar and his delegation were received by Bahraini Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Abdullatif Rashid Al Zayani, Deputy Governor of Muharraq Brig Gen Jassim Mohammed Al Ghattam, Malaysian Ambassador to Bahrain Shazryll Zahiran and Bahraini Ambassador to Malaysia Dr Waleed Khalifa Al Manea.
Anwar, who is on his first visit to the country as Prime Minister, was then escorted from the airport to his accommodation here. Throughout the 20-minute journey, the Jalur Gemilang could be seen proudly flying along the streets, highways and on skyscrapers.
During the visit, Anwar is set to hold a courtesy meeting with Crown Prince Salman and have an audience with Bahrain’s King, Raja Hamad Isa Al Khalifa, a high honour for Malaysia that reflects the strong bilateral ties between the two nations.
Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, will also meet his Bahraini counterpart, Shaikh Salman Khalifa Al Khalifa and pay a visit to the Bahrain Economic Development Board to explore economic cooperation opportunities between Malaysia and Bahrain.
Anwar is also expected to meet with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif Prof Dr Ahmed El-Tayeb, besides engaging with the Malaysian diaspora at an event here.
On the sidelines of his visit, Anwar is also scheduled to deliver a speech at the Intra-Islamic Dialogue Conference, attended by 298 scholars from 75 countries.
Bahrain, the first Gulf nation to discover oil in 1932, was Malaysia’s ninth-largest trading partner in West Asia last year, while Malaysia ranked as Bahrain’s third-largest trading partner among ASEAN countries and 18th globally in 2023.
Besides oil, Bahrain is home to the world’s fourth-largest aluminium processing plant, a key export to Malaysia.
-- BERNAMA
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