Saudi crown prince says US-Saudi ties strong

Riyadh // Saudi Arabia’s relations with the United States are “historic and strategic”, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef said during a visit to the kingdom by the CIA director Mike Pompeo.

It was the first reported visit by a senior Trump administration appointee to Riyadh.

“Our relationship with the United States is historic and strategic, any attempts to undermine that will falter,” Prince Mohammed said, according to state news agency Spa late on Friday.

Prince Mohammed, who is also interior minister, said his country will continue to tackle terrorism.

“Combating terrorism is an international obligation which requires coming together of world endeavours, at all levels, to confront it, security-wise, intellectually, media-wise and militarily,” Prince Mohammed said.

The crown prince described how Saudi Arabia had managed to foil several terror plots on its soil. “We are surrounded by conflict hotbeds, henceforth, we are the first to feel the brunt of terrorism, from various sources, however, we have, a priority to prepare and arrange ourselves to combat it, anywhere, by all means and in any circumstance.,” he said.

In a recent phone call Saudi Arabia’s King Salman invited US President Donald Trump “to lead a Middle East effort to defeat terrorism and to help build a new future, economically and socially,” for Saudi Arabia and the region.

*Reuters