Saudi Deputy Minister of Defense meets US Secretary of State in Washington
Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Defense Minister, Prince Khalid bin Salman, met with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and his deputy Wendy Sherman on Saturday to address a range of bilateral, regional, and international issues.
Blinken and Sherman voiced their “strong support for the ceasefire reached by the UN,” according to the State Department.
“They addressed recent advances in Yemen, notably the restoration of commercial flights from Sanaa and the import of regular petroleum through the port of Hodeidah,” the statement stated.
Blinken and Sherman discussed “the lasting US commitment to boosting Saudi Arabia’s defenses, measures to oppose Iranian threats, and the significance of maintaining strong international support for Ukraine” with the deputy secretary, according to the statement.
The two sides also talked about “handling the strains in global energy markets created by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as well as human rights problems and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s progress on the Vision 2030 program.”
According to the Saudi Press Agency, “they examined the “strategic and historical connections” between the Kingdom and the US and methods to strengthen them”.
In the case of Yemen, the Deputy Minister of Defense affirmed the Arab coalition’s support for the Yemeni Presidential Command Council and “the Kingdom’s aspirations that the Yemenis reach a comprehensive political solution”.
He added that “despite the positive nature of the announced truce to a large extent, there is an important role the UN and the international community should do to pressure the Houthi militias to open Taiz.”
“The two countries’ common vision to confront Iran’s destabilizing policies in the region,” according to the agency.
This vision includes security and diplomatic coordination between the two friendly countries to confront Iranian threats, including dealing with Iran’s nuclear file, its ballistic missile program, and its sponsorship of terrorism.
