Saudi king, US state secretary discuss Mideast issues

By Ahmed al-Masri

RIYADH

Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz held talks on Sunday in Jeddah with visiting U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry.

Discussions between the two men focused on bilateral cooperation and the latest regional developments, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

Kerry also held talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Nayef, with whom he discussed a host of issues, including the regional war against terrorism, according to SPA.

Kerry arrived in Saudi Arabia on Saturday as part of a tour that will also take him to Austria, where he will co-chair group talks devoted to the situation in Libya with Italy’s foreign minister before discussing the Syrian file with his Russian counterpart.

Washington’s top diplomat is also slated to visit Belgium for a meeting of NATO foreign ministers before flying on to Asia, where he will join U.S. President Barack Obama in Vietnam.

Saudi Arabia and the U.S. both support opposition forces in Syria, which for the last five years have been fighting the Russia- and Iran-backed Assad regime.

By Ahmed al-Masri

RIYADH

Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz held talks on Sunday in Jeddah with visiting U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry.

Discussions between the two men focused on bilateral cooperation and the latest regional developments, the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

Kerry also held talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Nayef, with whom he discussed a host of issues, including the regional war against terrorism, according to SPA.

Washington’s top diplomat is also slated to visit Belgium for a meeting of NATO foreign ministers before flying on to Asia, where he will join U.S. President Barack Obama in Vietnam.

Saudi Arabia and the U.S. both support opposition forces in Syria, which for the last five years have been fighting the Russia- and Iran-backed Assad regime.