Bahraini servicemen are set to undergo training at top UK military academies as part of a new mutual agreement between the two countries.

This was revealed by UK Minister for the Middle East MP Tobias Ellwood during a visit to Bahrain yesterday to discuss regional issues, reform and the upcoming British naval base in Juffair, said a report in the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

“The plans are still being worked out,” said Ellwood

“But what I hope to see is an opportunity to raise standards and complement each other’s work.

“There will be opportunities for us to work with Bahraini military forces and to offer mutual support – programmes where Bahraini soldiers, sailors and airmen, and indeed some senior Bahraini officers, will go and attend training at Sandhurst, Dartmouth and Cranwell.”

Ellwood, who was speaking during a media roundtable held at the British Embassy yesterday evening was referring to the renowned Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, the Britannia Royal Naval College Dartmouth and the Royal Air Force College Cranwell – where the British armed forces’ officer class are trained.

Understanding

The announcement follows the signing in December last year by UK Foreign Secretary Phillip Hammond and Bahrain’s government of a memorandum of understanding for a new permanent British naval base, work on which is expected to start later this summer at an estimated cost of BD8.6 million.

“We are grateful to Bahrain for the opportunity to place these enormous naval assets in such a strategic location in the Gulf,” said Ellwood.

“This marks our embarkation on a new Gulf strategy and I’m delighted that Bahrain is allowing us to play such an important role in the security commitments in this area.”

Ellwood also spoke last night about the ongoing efforts of the US-led coalition against Islamic State (Daesh) militants in Iraq and Syria, of which both the UK and Bahrain play a part.

“We all face the global challenge of individuals being incited to go and join the extremism in Iraq,” he said.

“Up to 700 people have chosen to turn their back on Britain and to go and fight for Daesh.

“The same applies to other European countries and to the Middle East as well – including Bahrain.

“This is why it must be a collective effort to challenge this ideology and we should aim to defeat it.

“That will take time, to put forward the moderate voice of Islam which has been hijacked by Daesh.”

Ellwood is in Bahrain for the fifth meeting of the UK-Bahrain Joint Working Group, during which he visited top ministers and officials and discussed a wide range of bilateral issues, including co-operation on key trade and investment opportunities.

The group has discussed progress on the implementation of the recommendations of the Bahraini Independent Commission of Inquiry Report and the UN Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review.

Ellwood lauded Bahrain’s reform progress – noting that steps had been taken to strengthen police accountability and build oversight mechanisms across the criminal justice system. - TradeArabia News Service