Britain inaugurates ‘military base’ in Bahrain

By Ahmed al-Masry

MANAMA

Bahraini Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa and British counterpart Prince Charles this week inaugurated a new "facility" for Britain’s Royal Navy in Bahrain’s Salman Military Port, according to reports in Bahrain’s official news agency.

In a speech given on the sidelines of Thursday’s inauguration, Prince Salman praised the new maritime facility.

"The commitment of both kingdoms to developing a framework for joint military cooperation with strategic international partners will help maintain the region’s security and stability, especially given the challenges we now face," he said.

Last week, Bahrain’s government denied a series of news reports alleging that a British "military base" was being built on its territory.

In recent days, however, the international media reported that Prince Charles planned to take part in the inauguration of Britain’s "first permanent military base in the Middle East" since 1971.

According to news reports, the total cost of the new facility stands at more than 37 million British pounds (roughly $46 million), of which Bahrain has paid 30 million pounds.

In late 2014, Britain’s Foreign Office announced that an agreement signed between Manama and London would allow the latter to establish a military base in Bahrain.