New Delhi, July 15 : Bahrain Foreign Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa on Sunday lauded the role of the Indian expatriate community's role in his country's development.

"FM Shaikh Khalifa praised the contribution of Indian community settled in Bahrain towards the economic development of Bahrain," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted following the second High Joint Commission meeting led by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Shaikh Khalifa in Manama.

Bahrain is home to around 350,000 Indian nationals, the largest expatriate community in the Gulf Kingdom, and more than 3,000 Indian-owned or joint venture companies.

Bilateral trade between India and Bahrain stood at over $875 million as of February this year, according to figures provided by the External Affairs Ministry.

India's total capital investment into Bahrain between January 2003 and March 2018 has been estimated at $1.69 billion.

On Saturday, the first day of her two-day visit to Bahrain, Sushma Swaraj, along with Shaikh Khalifa, inaugurated the new Indian Embassy complex in Manama.

"The new developments that have taken place in the economic field in the two countries, will take economic relations to greater heights," Sushma Swaraj said in her address at the ceremony.

Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.



Panaji (PTI): A court in Goa on Saturday granted bail to right-wing speaker Gautam Khattar, who was arrested after he allegedly made derogatory comments against St Francis Xavier.

Judicial Magistrate First Class, Vasco, granted regular bail to Khattar, currently admitted to Goa Medical College and Hospital at Bambolim for treatment of chest pain after he was shifted from the District Hospital in Mapusa two days back.

A row erupted after a video of remarks by Khattar, the founder of Sanatan Mahasangh, at an event on April 18 in the presence of Swami Brahmeshanand, State Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho and BJP MLAs Sankulp Amonkar and Daji (Krishna) Salkar, went viral.

St Francis Xavier is revered as the patron saint of Goa.

The controversial remarks led to the Vasco Police registering an FIR against Khattar on charges of hurting religious sentiments and creating enmity between groups.

He was detained in Kullu, Himachal Pradesh, by local police. His custody was later handed over to the Goa Crime Branch, according to officials.