Bahrain Mirror: Britain opened its first military base on Thursday (April 5, 2018) in East of Suez since British forces withdrew from the region in 1971 at a seaport south-east of the capital, Manama.

The Bahraini government took on the construction of the British base at a cost of BD 8 million, on the condition that the United Kingdom bears the cost of operating it.

Britain says the base will be used to support British destroyers and frigates in the Gulf, as a storage place for naval operations equipment and to house British Royal Navy personnel.

"It is an important milestone in the Kingdom's efforts to support the international coalition against terrorism and contribute to the protection of international routes and secure the movement of world trade," said the Crown Prince.

For his part, Duke of York stressed on Britain's keenness "to further develop the horizon of cooperation between the two countries."

The East of Suez decision in 1968 formed a milestone during the colonial power of Britain formerly, upon which the British bases in East of Suez were closed down by 1971.

Arabic Version