ANTHONY BLINKEN: Well, good afternoon, everyone. It is a great pleasure to welcome the
Crown Prince to Washington, but I really should say, back to Washington. I think you’ve probably
spent as much time here including as a student for the American University as any of us have,
so this is almost a second home and so, we’re so pleased to welcome you here, welcome you back.
It is evidence of, and we were just talking about this, an extraordinary
long-standing partnership between Bahrain and the United States going back 75 years
through thick and thin and we deeply appreciate it. We deeply value it and it’s important,
not only to remind ourselves of that, but to focus on the work we have before us going forward.
I want to say at the outset how much we appreciate Bahrain’s strong support for the resolution,
the historic resolution voted today at the United Nations General Assembly condemning the Russian
aggression against Ukraine, supporting Ukraine in its efforts to preserve its sovereignty, its
territorial integrity, its independence. This was a remarkable moment, 141 countries coming together
loudly, clearly. On this matter, we are grateful for Bahrain’s
support. Bahrain, of course is a major non-NATO ally, a close partner on security, but also on
many other issues. I, applaud as well, the work that the Abraham Accords has [INAUDIBLE] relations
between Bahrain and Israel and of course, other countries and Israel to a place where the benefits
to the people of both countries are strongly felt and I applaud your leadership on that as well. So,
we have a lot to talk about. There’s a lot going on in the world. There’s a lot going on in the
region. It’s really good to have you here to be able to restart our conversation. Welcome.
SALMAN BIN HAMAD AL KHALIFA: Mr. Secretary,
ladies and gentlemen, it’s a real pleasure to be here. Thank you for welcoming me.
It is a hometown of sorts, always when I come to Washington, it is a city I know well,
it is a city that has had great impact on myself, the people of Bahrain and our country.
Over the 75 years, we have built a security cooperation that has guaranteed the security
and stability of, not just the region, but of the world. And we have played a key role,
small though we are. In short, the United States and the responsible governments of the world
preserve international rules-based order. This is key. We have decades, now, of general global peace
and that is why we should use that international rules-based order.
Its current state of affairs is deeply concerning and I think we must do everything in our power
to urge everyone to de-escalate and to return to more normative ways of solving issues.
In any case,
I’m very happy that we can come here on the back of that 75 year history
and on to bigger and better things and I look forward to discussing what it is that we can
enhance our strategic security relationship and our strategic economic relationship.
Also, by becoming ever more close in our work together, I think there is inevitably
an exchange of values and shared vision and that can’t be bad. So, thank you for welcoming us.
MR. BLINKEN: Thank you, everyone.