His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa received at Al-Safriya Palace Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Martin Dempsey, and the accompanying delegation, marking their visit to the Kingdom of Bahrain.HM the King welcomed Gen. Dempsey and hailed deep-rooted historic relations bonding the two friendly countries, stressing steadily-growing cooperation in all fields. HM the King stressed particularly the military and defence ties between the two allies and partners, affirming Bahrain’s keenness on further bolstering bilateral relations and expanding the scope of cooperation and coordination for the sake of the two friendly countries and peoples’ interests. The king hailed Bahraini-US decades-long relations which are based on mutual respect and joint coordination, affirming the Kingdom’s stance in support of all regional and international efforts to maintain security and stability and consolidate peace in the region. In this regard, he commended the pivotal role played by the US Administration, hailing its cooperation with allies and friends to maintain security and stability in the region, combat the scourge of terrorism and secure international peace. HM the King and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff reviewed ways of consolidating joint military and defence cooperation and discussed developments in the region, latest regional and international developments and issues of mutual interest. HM the King hosted a dinner banquet in honour of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Martin Dempsey and the accompanying delegation.