MANAMA: Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Issa Al Khalifa on Saturday welcomed Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa, Bahraini state media said, the interim leader’s latest engagement with regional leaders since taking power in December.

The official Bahrain News Agency said the king hosted Sharaa at his palace where they “discussed relations and opportunities to strengthen cooperation” in various fields.

The two leaders “also addressed regional developments”, the news agency said, adding that “the discussions covered the latest developments in Syria and ways to support the country’s security and stability.”

Sharaa, who was made interim leader after his group spearheaded the offensive that toppled longtime ruler Bashar Al-Assad on December 8, has since visited the Gulf states of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, as well as capitals elsewhere in the region and in Europe.

This is his first official visit to the tiny Gulf kingdom of Bahrain since taking office.

In a joint press conference with Sharaa, Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani said they discussed “paths towards bilateral cooperation and ways to enhance and develop it in various sectors including trade, civil aviation, energy, health and education”.

Bahrain was one of the first countries to express willingness to cooperate with the new authorities in Damascus after Assad’s fall.

In a letter to Sharaa just days after his forces had taken the Syrian capital, King Hamad expressed “Bahrain’s readiness to continue consultations and coordination with Syria and to support regional and international organizations in efforts that benefit the Syrian people”. — AFP