The US and Bahrain have upgraded their defense relationship under a new security and economic relationship which U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said would expand defense and intelligence collaboration between the two countries, Reuters reports.
The deal could be looked at as “a template for Washington’s commitments to other Middle East allies,” Matthew Martin from Bloomberg writes.
The agreement, known as the Comprehensive Security Integration and Prosperity Agreement, or C-SIPA, aims to promote cooperation between the US and Bahrain across areas including defense, security, technology and trade.
The agreement was signed at a meeting at the State Department between Blinken and Bahrain’s crown prince and prime minister, Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa.
“At the heart of the agreement is a shared goal: working together to build a region that is more secure, more prosperous, and that’s more connected to the world economy,” Blinken said to reporters just before the signing ceremony.
As Reuters notes, Bahrain already hosts the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet and the headquarters of the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command. Thousands of U.S. military personnel are deployed in Bahrain, which is designated as a major non-NATO ally.
“We’re looking forward to using this agreement as a framework for additional countries that may wish to join us in strengthening regional stability, economic cooperation, and technological innovation,” Blinken said at the signing ceremony for the deal.
