Bahraini ambassador to UK meets senior officials in Manchester

London, Oct. 2 (BNA): Bahraini Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Shaikh Fawaz bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, held several meetings during his visit to Manchester, where he met with the Lord Mayor of Manchester, Councillor Abid Latif Chohan, at the headquarters of the Provincial Council. The Ambassador expressed gratitude and appreciation for the warm welcome he received during his meeting with a large number of Bahraini students studying at various universities in Manchester, where many Bahraini students confirmed their preference to study in this beautiful city with an ancient history full of museums, libraries and entertainment. The Ambassador discussed ways of boosting investment between the Kingdom of Bahrain and Manchester, especially with the emergence of a number of new construction projects in Bahrain and the city of Manchester, in addition to the importance of communication between chambers of commerce to hold future meetings through which to discuss ways of direct investment, noting deep-rooted relations between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the United Kingdom and the importance of developing them in all fields and with all cities, especially the city of Manchester. For his part, the Mayor of Manchester expressed appreciation for the visit of the ambassador and the accompanying delegation to the city, especially to the seat of the county council, noting the large presence of Bahraini students at various universities in Manchester. He also praised Bahrain's pioneering experience in promoting tolerance and coexistence among religions. The Governor of Manchester reviewed bilateral cooperation, especially in the economic field, in addition to the direct investment opportunities in the city of Manchester where he pointed out that the city is the third largest city in the UK in terms of population and the second in terms of business activity. He added the city seeks to attract major international companies to set up their headquarters in Manchester, noting the transfer of the BBC network headquarter to Manchester. He added that the city is currently working to help reach these goals through the expected expansion of the city's international airport in increasing the capacity from 22 million visitors to 50 million in the next few years which will encourage tourism and investments. At an invitation by member of the Bahraini-British Joint Parliamentary Committee and MP of the Labour Party of Manchester, Mr. Afzal Khan, the Bahraini ambassador to the United Kingdom, Shaikh Fawaz bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, visited the British Islamic Heritage Center in its historical building in Manchester. Head of the Center Mr. Maqsood Ahmed, and Mr. Nasser Mahmoud gave a presentation on the most important work carried out by the Center on Islamic Heritage which focuses on Islamic history and its contribution to human civilisation in terms of emphasising the role played by the Muslim community in the United Kingdom and in Manchester in particular. They said the Center has endeavored to promote the involvement of Muslims in their communities in the spirit of tolerance and coexistence between religions. They stressed that it is a center for all communities, components of society and all religions, appreciating the visit of the ambassador and his accompanying delegation to it. They expressed hope for further cooperation with the Kingdom of Bahrain which has a unique and pioneering experience in this field. During his tour of the Center, the ambassador stressed its important role in light of cultural diversity in Manchester, which comprises many ethnic communities with different religions who have a prominent role in the city's development. He praised the role of the Muslim community in Manchester in conveying the correct and gracious image of Islam, hoping that the British Islamic Heritage Center would successfully become a Center for scientific studies and research in the field of Islamic heritage. He also stressed the Kingdom of Bahrain's support to all efforts aimed at promoting religious tolerance and highlighting the Kingdom's experience in this respect.