Secretary of State John Kerry travelled to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia to meet with Saudi Arabia’s King Salman and other Saudi officials ahead of critical talks on Syria, according to reports.
The Secretary, who also met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif and Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir, “discussed a range of regional issues – Yemen, Libya, and Syria — with particular emphasis on the situation in Syria in the run up to this week’s meeting of the International Syria Support Group in Vienna,” according to the U.S. State Department readout.
Secretary Kerry also “reaffirmed the enduring strength of the U.S.-Saudi bilateral relationship.”
Secretary of State John Kerry meets with Saudi Arabia’s King Salman.
“On Syria, the Secretary provided an update of the situation on the ground following last week’s reaffirmation of the Cessation of Hostilities. On Yemen, they discussed the need to strengthen the ongoing Cessation of Hostilities there, which has brought a much needed reduction in the level of violence, as well as our shared support for the continuation of UN-led peace talks. The Secretary also gave an update on Libya.”
[See photos from Secretary Kerry’s latest trip to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia]
According to DW.com via SPA.gov.sa, King Salman and Kerry discussed “aspects of cooperation between the two countries and developments in the region and efforts in that regards.” The Secretary also discussed cooperation in “fighting terrorism” with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif, who is also interior minister.
The meetings come before Tuesday’s meeting of the International Syria Support Group, co-chaired by the United States and Russia, according to Reuters. The meetings also include the Arab League and European Union countries as well as Turkey, Iran and China.
