The meeting between the pair in the Middle East drew criticism from backbencher Deputy Sam Mézec, who described the Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Khalifa as a ‘random dictator’.
As previously reported, a freedom of information request, not lodged by the Deputy, which asked whether Bahrain’s human rights records were discussed during the meeting was rejected.
Now External Relations Minister Sir Philip Bailhache has waded into the debate after being questioned about the meeting during States question time by Deputy Mézec.
Sir Philip said: ‘The government is extremely concerned about human rights and supports every effort to ensure human rights norms are observed in different countries, and particularly those who we have trading relationships with.
He added: ‘I am not sure if the Deputy was asking if the Chief Minister raised these matters during his recent visit to Bahrain but I should be very surprised if wide-ranging discussions did not take place. But it is not possible to be specific about these things.
‘I certainly go and visit a large number of ambassadors in London and have wide-ranging and frank discussions with them but if I had to go into an ambassador’s office and say, “Please understand that everything you say to me will be taken down and I may be questioned on it in a public forum in the States of Jersey and it will be recorded on the internet for everyone to see” that would not be a very positive way of entering into a private discussion.’
