US Secretary of State Marco Rubio received the Minister of Defense of Saudi Arabia, Prince Khalid bin Salman Al Saud, last night at the State Department in the US capital Washington, and the two discussed how the two countries can jointly promote stability in the Middle East region, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
The talks included security in the Red Sea and freedom of navigation there, the State Department announced. Other topics of discussion included the Gaza Strip, Syria and Lebanon. The US State Department said earlier that Rubio had spoken with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, and the two discussed Iran's influence in the Middle East. The need for Iraq to be energy independent and US investment were also discussed, State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said. The two agreed on Iraq's energy independence, the rapid resumption of the Iraq-Turkey pipeline, and the addition of clauses to contracts with US companies operating in Iraq to attract new investment, Bruce said in a statement, quoted by Reuters. Rubio and Sudani "also discussed limiting Iran's malign influence and future efforts to prevent the armed group "Islamic State" to destabilize the entire region," added the US State Department spokeswoman.