India and Bahrain will have bilateral-level talks in national capital New Delhi today. The King of Bahrain, Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, will lead his delegation at the talks, while the Indian delegation will be led by Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh.
According to an official release of the Ministry of External Affairs, both sides are expected to discuss bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual interest to the two countries.
King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa arrived in New Delhi last evening on a three-day visit to India. During his stay, he will meet President Pranab Mukherjee and Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari.
An External Affairs Ministry release said, the visit is expected to provide fresh impetus to the bilateral ties.
India and Bahrain have close and friendly relations. India's non-oil bilateral trade with Bahrain in 2012-13 exceeded 1.3 billion dollars. The two countries also share great people-to-people contacts, with over 3.5 lakh Indians working and contributing to the development of Bahrain.
India also has vital stakes in the Gulf and the Middle East region which hosts around seven million Indians.
The two areas are also a key source of India's crude oil requirements. The Gulf and Middle East regions are also one of the largest trading regions for India.
