On behalf of the United States of America, I wish His Majesty King Hamad and the people of the Kingdom of Bahrain a very happy National Day.

Over the last year, the relationship between the United States and Bahrain has reached even greater heights, with our second Strategic Dialogue and the visit of the Bahraini Prime Minister and Crown Prince Sheikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa to Washington, D.C. We will continue to work closely together as partners on regional security, combatting trafficking in persons, and economic and business relations.

I congratulate the Bahraini people on the occasion of their National Day.