Saudi Deputy Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman held talks Wednesday with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and other US officials during his visit to Washington.
Prince Khalid said in a tweet that the meeting with Blinken discussed the strategic Saudi-US partnership, reviewed the latest developments in the region, and explored ways to strengthen Saudi-US ties.
They also reviewed coordination between the two countries and "discussed opportunities for cooperation over a wide range of issues."
The Prince also met Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland to discuss the partnership between the two countries and regional and international developments.
The White House confirmed Washington's commitment to supporting Saudi Arabia in defending its territories and maintaining its security from the attacks of the Iranian-backed Houthi group, praising the long-term relations between the two countries and the partnership in achieving regional security.
National Security Council (NSC) Spokesperson Emily Horne announced that National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan met in Washington with Prince Khalid to discuss the longstanding partnership between the United States and Saudi Arabia, regional security, and the US commitment to help Saudi Arabia defend its territory as it faces attacks from Iranian-aligned groups.
"They also discussed the importance of coordinating efforts to ensure a strong global economic recovery, to advance the climate agenda, and to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East," said Horne, adding that they agreed to stay in touch regularly over the coming months to discuss these issues.
Prince Khalid said in a tweet that he reviewed with Sullivan mutual coordination between the two countries within the framework of the historic partnership and discussed regional and international developments as well as issues of mutual concern.
Also, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin emphasized the US commitment to the defense partnership with Saudi Arabia, expressing concerns over Iran's destabilizing activity.
Austin also referred to the tweet of Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl with the Saudi Deputy Minister, stressing the importance of ending the war in Yemen, appreciating Saudi support of US Special Envoy Lenderking.
"Enjoyed seeing Saudi Vice MinDef during his meeting w/ @DOD_Policy. Emphasized US commitment to our defense partnership, expressed concerns over Iran’s destabilizing activity, the importance of ending the war in Yemen, & appreciation for Saudi support of US Spec. Envoy Lenderking," tweeted Austin.
Prince Khalid bin Salman said that during his visit to the United States, he held extensive talks at the Pentagon with Austin, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley, and Kahl.
"We discussed the longstanding and historic partnership between our two countries, our military and defense cooperation, and our mutual efforts to preserve regional stability."
According to Pentagon spokesman John Kirby, the US Chief of Staff, General Mark Milley, also attended the meeting.
Deputy Press Secretary for the Department of Defense Jamal Brown said Kahl met with Prince Khalid at the Pentagon to reaffirm the US-Saudi defense relationship.
Kahl emphasized the US commitment to helping Saudi Arabia defend its territory and people.
Brown said in a statement that the two leaders discussed a range of issues related to regional security and stability, particularly efforts to end the war in Yemen and the shared US-Saudi commitment to counter Iran's destabilizing activities.
ِAccording to Brown, Kahl thanked Vice Minister Prince Salman for working closely and constructively with US Special Envoy Tim Lenderking to end the war in Yemen and condemned the Houthi cross-border attacks.
As part of the visit, the Saudi Deputy Defense Minister held a joint meeting with the US National Security Council's coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa, Brett McGurk, and the US Special Envoy for Yemen Timothy Lenderking.
The meeting discussed the latest developments in Yemen, the Kingdom's firm position in supporting the brotherly Yemeni people and their legitimate government, and efforts to reach a comprehensive political solution and achieve security and stability in Yemen.
Prince Khalid revealed in a tweet that he also held talks with US envoy for the Horn of Africa Jeffrey Feltman.
The two sides reviewed the Kingdom's efforts to support the security and stability of the African continent and its efforts to aid its progress and development.
For his part, State Department spokesman Ned Price announced that the Saudi deputy secretary of defense would hold a series of meetings with US officials, including State Department officials as well as NSC and DOD.
"They'll be discussing important issues to the bilateral relationship. We do expect some readouts will be issued over the course of that visit."
