Deputy Premier receives British official

Manama, March 24 (BNA): Deputy Prime Minister and Head of the Ministerial Committee for Urbanisation and Infrastructure Shaikh Khalid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa stressed the government's efforts to ensure a quality infrastructure to cater for the present and future needs of Bahrain and for the sake of a productive and sustainable economy. He was speaking as he received at Gudaibiya Palace today Lord Mayor of the City of London, the Right Honourable Jeffrey Mountevans, in the presence of the UK Ambassador to Bahrain Simon Martin. He described maintaining sustainability for the infrastructure sector as a challenge that could be dealt with by balancing expenditure with creating new and innovated jobs. He also pointed out the government's efforts to provide basic services for citizens by diversifying solutions, providing alternatives and launching pioneering initiatives mainly in the housing field. Shaikh Khalid welcomed Lord Jeffrey Mountevans wishing him a good stay in Bahrain. They also discussed historic relations of friendship between Bahrain and the UK and ways of bolstering them in various fields. On his part, Lord Mountevans underscored strong bilateral friendly relations, praising Bahrain's leaps in developing its infrastructure and boosting its standing as a regional financial and economic hub.