US diplomat discusses regional security in Bahrain

MANAMA (AA) – Bahrain’s Deputy Prime Minister Mohammed bin Mubarak Al-Khalifa held talks on Saturday with visiting U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John J. Sullivan in the capital Manama.

Discussions tackled bilateral cooperation and coordination “with a view to maintaining regional security and stability”, according to Bahrain’s official BNA news agency.

The talks also dwelt on a host of regional and international issues along with means of bolstering bilateral relations, the agency said.

Bahrain, which is a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), is a main ally of the U.S. in the Middle East region.

Since 1995, the U.S. Fifth Fleet has been stationed in Bahrain, from where it oversees U.S. naval operations in the Gulf region, the Red Sea and parts of the Indian Ocean.