Bahrain and India strengthened their cooperation in the fight against terrorism by establishing a Bahraini-Indian Joint Steering Committee which will be supported by training courses and an exchange of experiences relating to preventing and combatting crime.

The committee was established during a visit that the Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh made to Bahrain yesterday. Bahrain’s Interior Minister Lieutenant-General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa said during his meeting with the Indian minister that Bahrain has suffered from terrorist attacks that have caused loss of life, horrific injuries and damage to infrastructure.

He added that Bahrain is an open country in which everyone can live in peace and security. He invited the Indian minister to visit temples and community centres that emphasise this cultural diversity and acceptance in Bahraini society. He continued by saying that “Today is an opportunity to strengthen cooperation in the fight against terrorism, strengthen the bonds of mutual security and achieve regional security.”

During their meeting, Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa also stated that Bahrain has been a link between east and west throughout history. He also discussed Bahrain’s special relationship with India due to the large Indian community in the country and said that Bahrain is a tolerant, peaceful and open country.

He continued by saying that Bahrainis and Indians have lived together for many generations and that this makes it necessary for the two governments to develop relations between the two countries.

The Bahraini Interior Minister praised the first meeting of the Indian-Bahraini Joint Steering Committee as part of the agreement signed between the two sides in the field of counter-terrorism to reinforce security cooperation, especially in countering terrorism which is a threat to the security of the region.

In addition to this, the Indian Home Minister stressed that Bahrain is a civilised country and that its society is open and works to promote unity and coexistence. He added that mutual visits like this help to develop bilateral relations, that the threat of terrorism extends to the whole world and that his country is ready to strengthen joint cooperation with Bahrain in the fight against terrorism and in any area that it can help in.

The two sides agreed that King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa’s visit to India in February 2014 laid a strong foundation for building a close partnership between the two countries and created favourable opportunities for the development of bilateral relations in various fields.