In the framework of the visit of Minister of Interior, Lieutenant General Shaikh Rashid Bin Abdullah Al Khalifa to the United Kingdom, he held separate meetings with each of James Brookshire, minister on combating crime and security in the Department of Homeland Security, and Jeffrey Donaldson, the member of the British Parliament.
During the two meetings, Shaikh Rashid stressed that Kingdom of Bahrain is proceeding in implementing the reform project launched by His Majesty King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa, and that Ministry of Interior has implemented the recommendations of Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) and has also gone beyond implementation, and has established an independent bureau for the Ombudsman. This is considered unprecedented step in the region, where the recommendation was implemented in accordance with the international standards, through counting on the visions of the relevant experts in this regard.
In this framework, the Royal Decree dated May 28 for 2013 was issued, which granted the bureau more powers, which was a welcomed step by the British side.
During the visit, both sides discussed ways of cooperation and coordination in the area of exchanging information and training, in addition to benefiting from the British experiences and maintaining holding security cooperation meetings between both sides at the highest levels.
Minister of Interior and the accompanying delegation paid a visit to the Police College “Bramzhil” where a detailed explanation was presented on the training plans and programmes provided by the college in various policing areas, and it was agreed to benefit from the college’s capabilities in holding specialized courses in the field of investigation and criminal investigation, which will start during the next months.
The minister also met with the members of the Irish Services institution, where he was briefed on their experiences in the field of police community service and rehabilitation programmes for young people and those involved in acts of violence, including preparing them for integration into the community.
In this regard, both sides agreed on exchanging meetings between them to develop a comprehensive framework to start implementing those programmes.
The minister also visited the main traffic operations’ center and the transport network, where an integrated explanation was presented on the mechanisms of the Centre’s work and its method of controlling traffic and addressing congestions. The two sides also agreed to send a team from the General Directorate of Traffic in Bahrain to benefit from the British experience in this area.
The Minister also visited the Joint Center for British government for crisis management, where they presented the technique of work and the development witnessed by the center, while the Minister praised the active role of the center in the field of crisis management in an active scientific manner that reduces the effects and repercussions of the crisis.