Antony Blinken meets Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman in Saudi Arabia

 

President Biden had once pledged to shun Saudi Arabia following the killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. But last year he traveled to the country to address rising oil and gas prices and exchanged a fist bump with the Saudi prince that sparked criticism.

 

In a statement on the meeting, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said Blinken and the crown prince discussed joint efforts to combat terrorism, address security in Yemen, and expand economic cooperation, specifically in clean energy and technology. 

 

Miller said Blinken thanked bin Salman for hosting the D-ISIS Ministerial on Thursday, for helping evacuate hundreds of U.S. citizens from Sudan, and for their joint efforts to stop fighting in the country.

 

“The two affirmed their shared commitment to advance stability, security, and prosperity across the Middle East and beyond, including through a comprehensive political agreement to achieve peace, prosperity, and security in Yemen,” Miller wrote in the statement Tuesday. 

 

Blinken arrived in Saudi Arabia Tuesday and will remain there until Thursday. 

 

On Wednesday, Blinken will attend the U.S.-Gulf Cooperation Council Ministerial “to discuss the growing cooperation with our GCC partners to promote security, stability, de-escalation, regional integration, and economic opportunities across the Middle East.”

 

On Thursday, Blinken will address the continued threat of ISIS at a meeting of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS and “reaffirm our commitment to ensure its enduring defeat.”