India keen to strengthen ties with Bahrain: PM

Dubai, Jan 10: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said India is keen to further strengthen its ties with Bahrain and is looking forward to the visits of King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa and Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa.

In an interview with Gulf Daily News, Dr Singh said Bahrain is a country with which India has a time-tested relationship.

He said Indian workers abroad, particularly those in Gulf countries, are the backbone of the nation, and their remittances home have greatly contributed to strengthening the country's balance of payments.

''Their welfare is in the country's interest, and that is why we set up an exclusive Ministry for Overseas Indian Affairs,'' he said.

The Prime Minister said he is well aware of the hardships faced by poor Indian workers in the Gulf, and promised these issues would be tackled along with complaints about high air fares on the Gulf-India sector.

UNI