Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio meets with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, during the top diplomat’s first Middle East tour.
During the meeting, the two sides reviewed the bilateral relations between their countries and discussed ways to enhance and develop them in various fields, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
They also exchanged views on regional and international developments and the ongoing efforts to address them to achieve security and stability.
The meeting came a day before US and Russian officials are due to hold talks in Saudi Arabia on ending the war in Ukraine.
Earlier Rubio was welcomed by Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan. During their meeting, they discussed the Saudi-US relationship and explored ways to strengthen ties for the benefit of both nations. They also touched on regional and international developments and the efforts being made in that regard.
Rubio arrived in Saudi Arabia on Monday after a visit to Israel. The next stop on his tour will be the United Arab Emirates.
This visit comes after a phone call last week between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, during which they agreed to have their respective teams begin negotiations immediately.
While President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed he could end the conflict in a single day if re-elected, Rubio emphasised that resolving such a prolonged and complex war “will not be easy.”
