Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, arrived in London on Tuesday on an official visit to Britain that will last several days.
He was received at the airport by British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, Saudi Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf bin Abdulaziz, British Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Simon Collis, and a number of princes and officials.
The Royal Diwan issued a statement saying that the Crown Prince traveled to Britain at the directives of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and an invitation of the British government.
He will meet there with Prime Minister Theresa May and a number of officials to discuss bilateral ties and issues of common interest.
The trip will include lunch with Queen Elizabeth, a dinner with heir to the throne Prince Charles and his son Prince William, and meetings with British intelligence chiefs.
Prior to traveling to Britain, the Crown Prince had made a three-day trip to Egypt where he held talks with President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi and several political, religious and economic officials.
A joint statement issued at the end of his trip said that Prince Mohammed and Sisi tackled during their talks bilateral cooperation and the need to bolster ties on the political, security, military, trade and tourism levels.
The two officials also addressed regional and international developments, expressing their determination to confront extremism. They stressed the need to uproot terrorism and defeat all terror organizations without exception.
Saudi Arabia expressed its complete support for the successful efforts of the Egyptian government to completely defeat terrorism as part of its Sinai 2018 operation.
On Arab developments, Prince Mohammed and Sisi underlined the need to preserve Arab territorial integrity, saying that they are committed to working on a comprehensive vision to develop and reform joint Arab work, starting with the Arab League. The reform will help bolster Arab capabilities in confronting challenges in the region and mounting security threats.
Strengthening Saudi-Egyptian cooperation will be the backbone of protecting Arab national security and confronting foreign meddling in internal Arab affairs that have led to conflicts and terror acts in Syria, Libya, Yemen and Iraq.
Prince Mohammed and Sisi discussed the Palestinian cause, stressing the right of the Palestinian people to establish an independent state whose capital is Eastern Jerusalem.
They also voiced their support for the political resolution aimed at ending the Syrian crisis in a manner that preserves its territorial integrity and the meets the aspirations of the Syrian people. The solution should be based on the Geneva peace talks and United Nations Security Council resolution 2254.
On Yemen, they emphasized the need to preserve its unity, achieve its security and stability and back its legitimate its government. A peaceful solution to the crisis must be based on the Gulf initiative and outcomes of the national dialogue.
Egypt, for its part, condemned the Iran-backed Houthi militias in Yemen for launching ballistic missiles against Saudi Arabia, voicing its complete solidarity with the Kingdom against any security threat.
Moreover, Prince Mohammed and Sisi expressed their absolute rejection of Iranian meddling in the internal affairs of Arab countries, saying that they will maintain constant coordination to confront Tehran’s actions. The security of the Arab region can only be achieved after foreign meddling comes to an end.
On Libya, the two officials voiced their support for the political course paved by the UN to resolve the crisis. Political work remains the best way to end the conflict, they said, while expressing their support for the mission of UN envoy to Libya Ghassan Salameh.
