Malaysia and Bahrain have denounced terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and reaffirmed their desire to strengthen their cooperation in combating terrorism at both the bilateral level and within the multilateral system of the United Nations.

In a joint statement released in conjunction with the state visit of Bahrain Ruler King Hamad Isa Al Khalifa to Malaysia, both nations also agreed to cooperate in addressing the threat of militancy, not only in the military context, but also through soft power and counter narratives.

"The two sides agreed that terrorism should not be linked to any race, ethnicity or religion," said the joint statement.

The statement said Malaysia and Bahrain acknowledged the important role played by each other in combating terrorism and violent extremism.

Malaysia and Bahrain, according to the statement, agreed to further enhance their defence relations and had signed a Memorandum of Understanding towards this end.

The two side will further explore military-to-military cooperation which includes, but is not limited to, training, exercises, and exchange of military personnel between the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) and the Bahrain Defence Force (BDF), it said.

The two side will also intensify cooperation on information and intelligence sharing on terror networks, and work together to share experiences on dealing with the growing phenomenon of radicalisation, it said.

Malaysia and Bahrain leaders, according to the joint statement, acknowledged the importance of moderation as an approach to promote dialogue, mutual respect, understanding and tolerance to counter all forms of violence extremism.

In this regard, the Malaysian side expressed a desire to encourage collaboration between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Global Movement of Moderates Foundation (GMMF), it said.

The joint statement said Malaysia and Bahrain, noting the potential of their respective economies, agreed to encourage their investors to foster closer economic and trade linkages.

Both side also agreed to use Bahrain's status as a "Gateway to the Gulf" and a hub of Islamic finance, as well as to benefit from the potential of Malaysia being in the heart of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) established in 2015, it said.

"Both sides underscored the importance of strengthening and deepening trade relations and investment cooperation between the two countries and to explore opportunities in light of the Kingdom of Bahrain''s Vision 2030," it said.

Malaysia and Bahrain, according to the joint statement, agreed to revitalise the ASEAN- Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) cooperation and to explore the possibility of holding the ASEAN-GCC Ministerial meeting in 2017.

The joint statement said Malaysia and Bahrain highlighted the importance of strengthening cooperation in the field of environment, renewable energy, oil and gas, trade and investment, particularly in the field of small and medium size enterprises, consumer protection, and developing industrial areas.

An air services agreement and four memorandums of understanding (MoU) in the field of defence, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), oil and gas as well as commerce were signed in conjunction with King Hamad''s visit to Malaysia.

Malaysia and Bahrain welcomed the setting up of the Malaysia-Bahrain High Joint Commission to be co-chaired by the foreign ministers of both countries, which would serve as an umbrella framework for bilateral cooperation between the two countries, it said.

"The two sides stressed the importance of continuing regular bilateral consultations through the existing institutional mechanisms," the Malaysia-Bahrain statement said.

According to the statement, the Malaysian side welcomed with appreciation Bahrain's decision to open an Embassy in Malaysia.

The joint statement said King Hamad thanked Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Muhammad V for the warm and gracious hospitality extended to His Majesty and the members of his delegation.

"He extended his invitation to Sultan Muhammad V and Prime Minister of Malaysia Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to visit Bahrain at a mutually convenient date, which was accepted with appreciation," it added.

--BERNAMA