PM Modi to go on 2-day state visit to Bahrain, 1st Indian PM to do so

Team Udayavani, Aug 22, 2019, 11:45 AM IST

New Delhi: Days after Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan was snubbed over Kashmir issue by the Bahrain administration, Prime Minister Modi will be calling on Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to further enhance the bilateral ties between the two nations.

Modi, who will be the first Prime Minister from India to pay a state visit to Bahrain, from August 24-25 will also launch the renovation of Shreenathji (Shree Krishna) temple in Manama.

The two-day visit will see Modi hold discussions with Prince Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa and Prime Minister of Bahrain on regional and international issues of mutual interest. The Bahraini King would host a banquet dinner in honour of Modi.

In the year 2018-19 the trade between the two nations which has shown a steady rise touched about $1.3 billion. As many as 3,50,000 Indian nationals, the largest expatriate community in Bahrain has been contributing to the development of Bahrain. The presence of over 3,000 Indian-owned/joint ventures in Bahrain indicates the intense economic engagement between the two countries.

This visit gains importance in the backdrop of India’s move to abrogate Article 370 in Kashmir earlier this month. While Pakistan had reached out on a global platform, especially the Gulf nations seeking support against India’s move on Kashmir it has received a cold shoulder on most levels and has been advised to resolve the issue through negotiations.

In yet another development, the Bahrain government last week cracked down on a protest carried out by Pakistanis and some Bangladeshis shortly after the Eid prayers over the Indian government’s decision to revoke Jammu and Kashmir’s special status. Tweeting about the action taken, Bahrain’s interior ministry had said that the local police had initiated legal proceedings against the protestors.