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Immediate Release

Readout of the U.S.-Bahrain Military Consultative Committee March 6-7, 2022

Department of Defense Spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Kenneth L. Hoffman provided the following readout:
  
The United States and the Kingdom of Bahrain held the U.S.-Bahrain Military Consultative Committee (MCC) in Manama, Bahrain on March 6-7, 2022.  Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (DASD) for the Middle East Dana Stroul led the U.S. delegation. Minister of Defence Affairs, His Excellency Lieutenant General Abdullah Bin Hassan Al Noaimi, led the Bahrain delegation.  

The MCC is the chief bilateral defense forum for Bahrain and the United States for advancing the U.S.-Bahrain defense relationship. 

U.S. and Bahraini leaders reaffirmed the strength of the bilateral U.S.-Bahrain strategic partnership. The delegations discussed a range of topics critical to the U.S.-Bahrain defense relationship, including threats from Iran’s missile program, proliferation of Unmanned Aerial Systems, and ongoing cultivation of violent non-state groups throughout the region.  Bahraini and U.S. participants also discussed ways to advance the defense partnership, including strengthening integrated air and missile defense and bolstering maritime security.  The delegations discussed DoD’s global defense strategy and its approach to China as the pacing challenge.  The MCC included sessions on security assistance, military operations and military agreements, and strategic initiatives.  

The U.S. delegation praised Bahrain’s regional leadership in advancing the Bahrain-Israel defense relationship, including through the recently concluded Bahrain-Israel defense cooperation agreement.  DASD Stroul thanked Bahrain for its outstanding support for the United States during the evacuation of Afghanistan during 2021.    

Both sides agreed on the importance of continuing to advance the U.S.-Bahrain defense and security partnership through joint training, exercises, and working together to expand regional cooperation to address shared threats.