IDF Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant General Aviv Kochavi on Thursday continued his first official visit to the Kingdom of Bahrain.
The visit began Wednesday with an official reception led by the Chief of Staff of the Bahrain Defense Force, His Excellency Lieutenant General Theyab Bin Saqer Al-Noaimi. Kochavi then met with the Secretary-General of the Supreme Defence Council, His Highness Maj. Gen. Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al-Khalifa.
Kochavi was then welcomed by an honor guard at the U.S. Fifth Fleet Headquarters in the Kingdom of Bahrain on Thursday. LTG Kochavi received an operational intelligence briefing from the Commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet and Combined Maritime Forces, Vice Admiral ( * * * ) Brad Cooper and his staff. The commanders discussed the ongoing cooperation between the IDF and the U.S. Fifth Fleet, and regional security and stability.
Continuing his visit, LTG Kochavi met with senior officials from the Bahrain Defense Force including the Commander-in-Chief of the Bahrain Defense Force, His Excellency Field Marshal Shaikh Khalifa bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa; the Chief of Staff of the Bahrain Defense Force, His Excellency Lieutenant General Theyab Bin Saqer Al-Noaimi; and the Bahrain Minister of Defense Affairs, His Excellency Lieutenant General Abdulla bin Hasan Al-Noaimi. The Commander-in-Chief and LTG Kochavi discussed challenges shared by the two nations and opportunities for expanding cooperation in the region.
“The ongoing cooperation with the U.S. Fifth Fleet is of significant value to the IDF,” Chief of the General Staff LTG Aviv Kochavi said. “Today’s visit to Bahrain is another example of our ongoing strategic relationship with the United States, which is a significant pillar of our national security. In the past year, we have built a security network with strategic partners in multiple countries. This network strengthens the strategic advantage we have over threats in the region.”
