ISTANBUL / Leith al-Junaidi / Anadolu

Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara discussed on Tuesday with Bahraini Interior Minister, General Sheikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, ways to enhance security cooperation and coordination between the two countries, in addition to supporting paths of openness and joint Arab action.

This came during al-Shara's reception of the Bahraini minister and his accompanying delegation at the People's Palace in the capital Damascus, according to a statement from the Syrian presidency on its account on the American platform "X", without mentioning the duration of the visit.

The meeting was held in the presence of Syrian Interior Minister Anas Khattab, Minister of Emergencies and Disaster Management Raed al-Saleh, and a number of relevant officials.

They discussed "bilateral relations between the two brotherly countries, ways to enhance them, and develop security cooperation and coordination."

The two sides also discussed "exchanging expertise in a way that contributes to supporting security and stability, along with supporting the path of openness and joint Arab cooperation."

In a related context, Minister Khattab said in a post on "X": "I welcome the visit of General Sheikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, Minister of Interior of the Kingdom of Bahrain, to the Syrian Arab Republic."

He considered that the visit "reflects the depth of relations between our two countries and opens broader horizons for enhancing cooperation and coordination to serve the interests of our two brotherly peoples."

The visit embodies a continuation of the path of recovery of Arab-Syrian relations and Damascus's restoration of its diplomatic and security depth in the Arab arena, after years of political stalemate following the events of 2011.

The security discussions between Damascus and Manama gain special importance given the cross-border challenges facing the region, foremost of which is combating terrorism and smuggling.

It also reflects the joint endeavor to consolidate a regional stability equation based on direct coordination and exchange of expertise among Arab security institutions.