Secretary Blinken: Prince Salman, your Royal Highness, State Department, welcome back to Washington. Washington is a city I’ve known since my college days, right around the corner from American University. We had a chance to talk about it before. Things have changed a bit on campus, but we’re excited to have you back in Washington.
And National Security Adviser Sheikh Nasser, my friend Foreign Minister Al Zayani, and the delegation from Bahrain, welcome, welcome, welcome.
This moment reflects the hard work of our team. I would like to applaud all of my American colleagues for the work they have put into this. And I believe it will help us define a very promising job ahead. Bahrain, a major non-NATO ally as well as a major security partner, is already one of the United States’ longest-standing and closest partners in the Middle East. Today’s meeting will discuss ways to deepen our strategic partnership through the Comprehensive Security Integration and Prosperity Agreement, the framework that brought us here today.
This agreement deepens our cooperation in three very important ways.
First, security and defense cooperation will expand. Of course, for more than 25 years, Bahrain has hosted the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet, working side by side in its mission to secure vital shipping lanes that support the entire global economy. This agreement will strengthen coordination and intelligence integration between our military forces, further enhancing deterrence and response when threats occur.
Secondly, it strengthens our economic relations. Since 2006, our free trade agreements have more than tripled trade and investment to about $3 billion annually. Today’s agreement builds on this, in part, by identifying new investment opportunities for U.S. private sector partners.
And third, at a time when technology has great potential to improve our lives, this agreement will advance science and technology cooperation between our two countries, including by strengthening information sharing and exchanges between our peoples. And we are already cooperating in areas such as health security and digital technology. I think you’ll see all of this rise to greater heights with today’s signing. We will begin the process of collaborating on renewable energy, carbon capture technology, and other cutting-edge initiatives.
The agreement is also the first binding international agreement of its kind in the United States to foster cooperation in the development and deployment of trusted technologies essential to protecting our nation’s critical systems and the privacy of our citizens from bad actors.
But if you take a step back, I think there is a common goal at the heart of the agreement. It’s about working together to build a region that is safer, more prosperous and more connected to the global economy. We look forward to using this agreement as a framework for additional countries who wish to join us in strengthening regional stability, economic cooperation, and innovation.
Your Highness, I very much look forward to meeting with you to discuss how we can continue to promote the regional integration that Bahrain has been at the forefront of. This week marks the third anniversary of the Abraham Accords, when Bahrain became one of the first countries to normalize diplomatic relations with Israel. Bahrain continues to demonstrate leadership through the Negev Forum. The Foreign Minister and I participated in that first meeting. Our two countries are co-leading efforts in a forum to strengthen cooperation on regional security and health, another very important item on our agenda today.
We will also continue our dialogue on all human rights issues that are core to U.S. foreign policy. This includes areas such as combating human trafficking, where Bahrain continues to make significant progress. This includes ensuring the protection of fundamental freedoms that contribute to Bahrain’s development.
For more than 130 years, Bahrain and the United States have had a partnership. That partnership has evolved to meet the nation’s challenging and changing needs since Americans built schools and hospitals in Manama in the early 20th century. , to the beginnings of our diplomatic relations more than 50 years ago, to our military with whom we served in Operation Desert Storm in the 1990s.
The agreement we are signing today builds on that very proud and important history. I believe this will ensure that this important relationship between our two countries continues to do what it needs to do, which will serve our people and help build a more positive future for people across the region. I am.
So, again, great to have you here. Let me hand this over to you.
Crown Prince Al Khalifa: thank you. Thank you, secretary. Ladies and gentlemen, it is a great honor and honor to stand before you on this historic day. I witnessed the closeness between our two countries and understood through our actions and words what it took to get to this point.
Long ago, over 130 years ago, a group of missionaries came and established the first hospital. You could call it a hospital, but I think it was actually just a hospital. It was actually a tiny little health center that became a hospital. 1903. We were the U.S. Navy’s first forward operating base in the Middle East, the Kingdom of Bahrain – I think it was 1948. We have consistently believed that as the first GCC country to sign a free trade agreement, the first to promulgate a free trade agreement, and the first to create the United States Trade Area, this is fundamental to what we aspire to. . Both are very passionate about it.
You explained exactly what this agreement means. I think it comes from a sense of duty and necessity. The world today faces many choices, and people face many choices between the rise of authoritarianism and the growth of libertarianism. The international rules-based order that emerged in the early 19th century is the basis of the freedom of trade and freedom of movement of ideas for people around the world, and we are all its beneficiaries. And those common values, the Bedouin values in the Arabian desert, are that if you don’t like the rainfall or whatever, you can pick up your house and move, but essentially the freedom to go wherever you want to go. is. It’s about living the way you want to live and, if possible, building a brighter future for your children than the one you’ve lived.
I believe that this agreement will be the foundation of a new world architecture because it is open-ended, focusing not only on essential security and defense, but also on the economy – economics, human resources and technology. Masu. , it’s open – it’s an open agreement. Hopefully we will welcome more members. I believe this is as important as the decisions made after many global cataclysms in history.
Therefore, we are setting sail with confidence. We are reorienting ourselves. And I, on behalf of Your Majesty, could not be more honored to be here on this day in Washington, D.C., to sign this agreement with you all, Mr. Secretary, and thank you.
Secretary Blinken: thank you.
(applause.)
Moderator: Today, the United States and the Kingdom of Bahrain signed the Comprehensive Security Integration and Prosperity Agreement. The agreement will strengthen cooperation across a wide range of areas, from defense and security to emerging technology, trade and investment. This marks the latest development in America’s enduring commitment to peace support for Bahrain and the region.
Secretary Blinken: Now, I have a pen that I don’t want to cooperate with, so I’m going to switch. (Laughter.)
Moderator: This concludes the signing ceremony.
Secretary Blinken: One more second. one more.
Crown Prince Al Khalifa: There’s one more thing.
(chat)
Crown Prince Al Khalifa: Everything is quadrupled.
Secretary Blinken: you are much faster than me.
(The agreement has been signed.)
Crown Prince Al Khalifa: perfection.
Secretary Blinken: That’s it! (Applause) Well done everyone. thank you.