The United States and the Kingdom of Bahrain held the U.S.-Bahrain Military Consultative Committee (MCC) in Washington, DC, on July 16, 2024. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East, Dan Shapiro, led the U.S. delegation, which included representatives from U.S. Central Command, the Joint Staff, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, and the State Department. Bahrain’s delegation was led by Minister of Defence Affairs, Lieutenant General Abdullah Bin Hassan Al-Noaimi, and included representatives from the Royal Bahraini Air Force, Royal Bahraini Naval Forces, and the Embassy of Bahrain.
The MCC is the premier bilateral forum for advancing U.S.-Bahrain defense cooperation, a vital component of the 2023 U.S.-Bahrain Comprehensive Security Integration and Prosperity Agreement (C-SIPA).
During the MCC, U.S. and Bahraini leaders reaffirmed the strength of their strategic partnership and discussed key issues, including the status of regional conflicts and combined efforts to promote regional stability. They explored opportunities to further develop the defense partnership, including expanding bilateral defense trade, information-sharing, and advisory mechanisms. The MCC featured sessions on bilateral intelligence cooperation, military cooperation, and security assistance.
The U.S. delegation praised Bahrain’s contributions to U.S.-led regional security initiatives in the Red Sea, including Operation Prosperity Guardian. U.S. officials also expressed their commitment to deepening American and Bahraini security cooperation under the C-SIPA framework. Both sides agreed on the importance of advancing the U.S.-Bahrain defense and security partnership through joint training, exercises, and greater regional cooperation to address shared threats.–News Desk