Bahrain's Prime Minister Sheikh Khalifa Bin Salman Al-Khalifa called for Muslim unity against "any attempt to abuse Islam" at the start of a two-day visit here Wednesday, October 31.
Sheikh Khalifa said in a statement that Bahrain and Malaysia, both Muslim countries, were bound together by several important ideas and principles, Malaysia's official Bernama news agency reported.
"In this framework and in light of the events in the international arena, we are looking forward to a unified stand by the Islamic countries to face any attempt to abuse Islam which totally rejects all forms of terrorism and calls for tolerance and cohesion among the people," he said.
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has condemned the September 11 terror attacks on the United States, but criticizes the retaliatory bombing in Afghanistan, saying it will kill innocent people and fail to stamp out terrorism.
Sheikh Khalifa, whose visit is aimed at reinforcing political and economic ties, was welcomed at the airport by Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar and is due to hold talks with Mahathir on Thursday.
The two premiers are scheduled to sign two memorandums of understanding, one for the establishment of a Malaysian trade and distribution center and the other for the development of Islamic banking and finance in Bahrain.
Bahrain and Petronas, Malaysia's national petroleum corporation, will also sign two oil exploration and production-sharing agreements involving two blocks in Bahrain's eastern offshore area.
A third agreement is due to be signed between Malaysia's Tekno Logam Sdn Bhd and its Bahraini counterpart Tekno Logam Co to establish a plant in Bahrain to produce gaskets and metal pipe connectors. — (AFP, Kuala Lampur)
© Agence France Presse 2001
© 2001 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
