Syed Hussein Al -Qassab
The Kingdom has a special site in the upcoming negotiations.
The chief official of the U.S. Secretariat Office at the US State Department, Timothy Linding, stressed that the relations between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the United States are witnessing an accelerated development, and reflects a strong partnership that extends its roots to the nineteenth century, indicating that he discussed with the Crown Prince the Prime Minister many regional issues, such as the difficult situation in Gaza, the security of the partners and allies of the United States, in addition to President Donald Trump’s intention to end the attacks Houthi in the Red Sea, restore freedom of navigation, and eliminate the Houthis’ ability to attack ships in the future.
In response to a question to “Al -Watan” regarding the customs duties and the status that the Kingdom may receive in any upcoming commercial negotiations, there is a free trade agreement between Bahrain and the United States, as Bahrain allows entry of all American goods without imposing customs taxes, which may make Bahrain with a distinguished position in the upcoming commercial negotiations, especially after President Trump has hinted that America’s allies will get a special place in This field.
He added, in statements to the media during his visit to Bahrain as part of a regional tour, that President Trump was very clear that what he was trying to do is not a punitive measure or with the aim of punishing anyone, but rather to restore balance and justice to trade relations that were not balanced or fair from the point of view of the current administration.
And that some countries have benefited from the American commercial system, as systems have not contributed to promoting prosperity, security or safety in the United States.
He added, “We know that Bahrain is one of the most prominent producers of aluminum, and this issue was raised during the visit of the Foreign Minister, Dr. Abdullatif Al -Zayani to Washington, and I believe that there is already awareness of the importance of the relationship between the United States and Bahrain, and the importance of the free trade agreement, and all these matters will be taken into account during the evaluation of the situation and the best decision in the future.
In another question to “Al -Watan” about the current negotiations with Iran, Timothy Linding stated that the United States of America hopes that these negotiations will be successful, but it is difficult to predict the result, indicating that Iran was in the past years aggressive towards the United States, and it had an active role in the region as a major cause of destabilization.
He added: “What we hope for will happen tomorrow, Saturday, is that the focus is on the Iranian nuclear file, as President Trump stated that Iran will not be allowed to possess a nuclear weapon, and I do not know any country in the region that would like Iran to have a nuclear weapon.”
He pointed out that there is great support for negotiations with Iran, in the hope of the success of these negotiations, indicating that the end result will be determined by the seriousness of the two countries in the success of the negotiations.
With regard to the regional situation of the region, he explained that there are opportunities for the emergence of more peaceful options than this situation, but at the same time, it confirms that Iran has not been defeated yet, and that Hamas still maintains a deadly capacity, in addition to the Houthi attacks, pointing out that there is no guarantee that peace will be automatically out of this situation.
He stressed that the matter requires a strong leadership from the United States, along with a strong partnership with friends and allies in the region, expressing his appreciation for the senior officials in the Kingdom, such as the National Security Adviser, His Highness Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, and the Minister of Finance and National Economy Sheikh Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, indicating that the visions they provide are appreciated.
He continued: «We are strongly appreciated by Bahrain, and I believe that this explains the rapid pace of communication that we have witnessed since January 20, as there were calls between President Trump and His Majesty the King, and between the Vice President and His Highness the Crown Prince, the Prime Minister, as well as at other levels.
