MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Russian President Vladimir Putin is due to meet Bahrain's Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa on Monday to discuss counter-terror efforts and the situation in the Middle East, the Kremlin said Saturday.
"A detailed exchange is also expected on the situation in the Middle East and Northern Africa, primarily in the context of combating international terrorism," the statement said.
On Friday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Putin would remain in Sochi until Monday to meet Bahrain's leader.
On January 25, Bahraini Information Minister Isa bin Abderrahman Hamadi said that the Bahraini king might visit Russia with a working visit in February, adding that the two countries' leaders will hold negotiations in both a narrow and expanded format.
Russia and Bahrain look to potentially cooperate in the fields of energy and arms trade. Earlier in January, Bahrain's Energy Minister Abdul Hussain bin Ali Mirza said the country's officials would visit Russia in March to discuss liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies to the new LNG terminal under construction in Bahrain. The minister also said that the two countries were discussing the possibility of Russian oil companies participating in the exploration of new oil and gas fields in Bahrain.
