Manama, Feb 11 (NationPress) Vice Admiral Tarun Sobti, the Deputy Chief of Naval Staff of the Indian Navy, visited Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Prime Minister and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of Bahrain, at the Riffa Palace. This meeting was centered on enhancing the bilateral relationship and naval collaboration between India and Bahrain.

“VAdm Tarun Sobti, Deputy Chief of Naval Staff Indian Navy, met with HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa on February 10. The discussions emphasized strengthening bilateral relations and naval cooperation, particularly in areas such as Information Sharing, Joint Training, Capacity Building, and Future Warfare,” stated the spokesperson for the Indian Navy on Wednesday.

Earlier this month, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar engaged in talks with his Bahraini counterpart, Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, prior to the commencement of the 2026 Critical Minerals Ministerial convened by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

In January, the Indian Embassy in Bahrain organized a reception to commemorate India’s 77th Republic Day, which featured Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani as the Chief Guest. The Embassy announced via X that over 400 dignitaries, including Members of Parliament, senior government officials, and members of the Diplomatic Corps, attended the event.

Another post on X highlighted participation from the leadership of the CMF, notable business figures, representatives from the Bahrain Chamber and Bahrain India Society, three Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awardees, and members of both the Indian and Bahraini communities.

A painting exhibition themed ‘Indo‑Bahrain Friendship’ was also featured during the reception.

“The popular Bahraini rapper Mr. Hussam Aseem, famed for his hit Fa9la, graced the Republic Day reception. Additionally, the Uttarakhand Society of Bahrain delivered a touching flute performance of ‘Vande Mataram’ in honor of the 150th anniversary,” the Indian Embassy shared on X.

Last November, EAM Jaishankar and Abdullatif bin Rashid Alzayani jointly chaired the 5th India-Bahrain High Joint Commission meeting in New Delhi, where they evaluated advancements in bilateral relations, focusing on trade, security, defense, health, culture, and people-to-people connections. They also explored prospects in the space, fintech, and cyber sectors.

“Co-chaired the 5th India-Bahrain High Joint Commission meeting with FM Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani. We reviewed the progress in our bilateral relations, emphasizing trade, security, defense, health, culture, and people-to-people connections, along with promising opportunities in space, fintech, and cyber domains. As Bahrain assumes the GCC presidency, I am optimistic that India-GCC relations will only deepen,” EAM Jaishankar remarked on X following the meeting.

“I expressed gratitude to the leadership of Bahrain for their commitment to the welfare of the Indian community and exchanged views on recent global and regional developments,” he added.