Crackdown on trafficking ‘top priority’
BAHRAIN and its neighbours may get international help in combating drug and human trafficking, it was declared yesterday.
Mr Scheffer said it was one of the main issues on the agenda at the Nato-Bahrain Relations and the ICI conference.
Other prominent participants were the Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa and Foreign Ministry assistant under-secretary for co-ordination and follow-up Dr Shaikh Abdul Aziz bin Mubarak Al Khalifa.
Crackdown on trafficking ‘top priority’
BAHRAIN and its neighbours may get international help in combating drug and human trafficking, it was declared yesterday.
Mr Scheffer said it was one of the main issues on the agenda at the Nato-Bahrain Relations and the ICI conference.
Other prominent participants were the Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa and Foreign Ministry assistant under-secretary for co-ordination and follow-up Dr Shaikh Abdul Aziz bin Mubarak Al Khalifa.
“Nato is an organisation which has a role in this regard,” Mr Scheffer said during an interview at the conclusion of the one-day conference,
“Of course our allies are worried about trafficking in drugs and human beings, they all are.
“But Nato is a political and military organisation.
“What we can do is exchange information on these issues in the framework of our political dialogue, but I do not see a direct role for Nato in this regard.”
Mr Scheffer did not rule out the possibility of Bahrain’s military joining Nato troops in conflict zones around the world – should the country’s leadership agree to take part in active operations.
However, he said training initiatives were more likely as a first step in Bahrain’s increased co-operation with Nato.
Mr Scheffer expressed concern about Iran’s failure to abide by the United Nations (UN) Security Council resolutions regarding its nuclear development programme, but said Nato did not plan to get directly involved in the issue.
Meanwhile, Shaikh Khalid revealed Bahrain had increased its activities with Nato by 60 per cent in the last year and the figure was set to rise.
Speaking at a Press conference at the conclusion of the event, he also hailed its success and said he looked forward to Bahrain’s future co-operation with Nato.
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