Secretary of State John Kerry said in a statement that Prince Saudi will be “greatly missed” in the world of international diplomacy and that the Secretary looks forward to continuing to work closely with his successor, Saudi Ambassador to the United States Adel Al-Jubeir.
“During four decades at the highest levels of international diplomacy, Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal helped guide Saudi Arabia through an ever-more-complicated world. I will continue to seek his counsel and value his friendship, forged over many hours spent discussing the challenges our nations face,” the Secretary said in a statement available on the U.S. State Department’s website.
Secretary of State John Kerry, Former Saudi FM Saud al-Faisal, and U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Joseph Westphal.
“Prince Saud has not just been the planet’s longest-serving Foreign Minister but also among the wisest. He worked with 12 of my predecessors as U.S. Secretaries of State, and was universally admired.”
Secretary Kerry also expressed excitement for the opportunity to work with the new Foreign Minister, Adel Al-Jubeir, noting that the Secretary has known Al-Jubeir for decades as the two met in Riyadh in the 1980s.
“While Prince Saud will be greatly missed, I look forward to continuing to work closely with his successor, Saudi Ambassador to the United States Adel Al-Jubeir. I have known Foreign Minister Al-Jubeir for a long time — in fact, we met when he was a young diplomat, assigned to help shepherd me around Riyadh in the 1980s.
“We have, of course, come to know each other far better since then, particularly during his exemplary service as the Kingdom’s Ambassador in Washington. A skilled diplomat and trusted interlocutor for many American officials, his promotion reaffirms the strong and historic bond between Saudi Arabia and the United States at a critical time. I wish him the best of luck in this new and important endeavor.”
