Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday condoled the demise of Bahrain's Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa and said he had special concern for the Indian community, including the Keralites in Bahrain.
Bahrain's state-run news agency announced his death, saying he had been receiving treatment at the Mayo Clinic in the United States, without elaborating.
Prince Khalifa, one of the world's longest-serving prime ministers, led his island nation's government for decades and survived the 2011 Arab Spring protests that demanded his ouster over corruption allegations, died on Wednesday. He was 84.
"He led Bahrain for half-a-century and was a leader who was very close to India.He had special concern for the Indian community, including the Malayalees in Bahrain," Vijayan said.
The chief minister also said Prince Khalifa played a crucial role in finding other financial sources for the island nation without relying upon the diminishing oil revenue and led the country towards development and modernisation.
"I had an opportunity to meet with him in Bahrain in 2017 where he praised the hardworking attitude and honesty of Keralites working in Bahrain. He also reminded that more than two thousand Keralites were working under him," Vijayan said in a statement.
PTI
