US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged Bahrain to take further steps to tackle human rights issues in talks with Bahraini Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Wednesday urged Bahrain to take further steps to tackle human rights issues in talks with Bahraini Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa.

State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland said the pair discussed “Manama's efforts to implement the recommendations of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI)” into last year's pro-democracy protests.

"Clinton noted the steps already taken to implement the recommendations, but expressed that much work remains to fully address ongoing human rights issues, including individual cases," Nuland said in a statement.

"She encouraged the Bahraini government to champion a clear process – in both word and action – that leads to meaningful institutional and political reforms that take into account the interests and aspirations of all Bahrainis," Nuland said.

Amnesty International says 60 people have been martyred in Bahrain since the uprising began in mid-February 2011.

New York based Human Rights Watch said earlier this year that Bahrain's "rulers have not fully carried out the key recommendations" of the inquiry into the "largely peaceful pro-democracy protests in February-March 2011."

"Clinton affirmed the long-standing commitment of the United States to a strong partnership with both the people and the government of Bahrain," Nuland added.