NEW DELHI, 20 March 2007 — Bahrain’s Crown Prince Shaikh Salman Ibn Hamad Al-Khalifa arrived here on a four-day visit to India during which the two countries are expected to intensify their business ties and sign two pacts in the areas of media and culture.
Minister of State for External Affairs E. Ahamed welcomed Shaikh Salman as he landed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport on his first visit to India — an emerging power and a knowledge hub with which Bahrain is seeking closer ties.
The crown prince, who was accompanied by Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid Ibn Ahmed Al-Khalifa and Industry and Commerce Minister Hassan Fakhro and a high-profile business delegation, headed straight to Hotel Maurya Sheraton.
India and Bahrain — home to a 260,000-strong Indian diaspora — are expected to sign two agreements in the areas of media and cultural cooperation after talks between Shaikh Salman and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
His official engagements start today with talks with Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee followed by meetings with Minister for Overseas Affairs Vayalar Ravi and National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan. The crown prince will call on President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat and discuss with them a host of bilateral issues.
In the afternoon, the prince will address top business leaders of India at an interactive meeting at Hotel Maurya Sheraton. The next day, Shaikh Salman will open Bahrain’s embassy in Vasant Vihar area tomorrow and also address a select gathering at the Indian Council for World Affairs — a premier Indian think tank. The focus of the prince’s maiden visit to India is on accelerating business and investment between India and Bahrain.
