(16 Mar 2017) US Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis hosted and roundtable meeting at the Pentagon Thursday with Saudi Arabia's Deputy Crown Prince and Minister of Defense.
The Pentagon visit followed a White House meeting between Prince Mohammad bin Salman and President Trump on Tuesday.
In opening remarks before the meeting, Secretary Mattis said the U.S.-Saudi relationship "has held firm through good times and bad" over many decades. And he thanked the 31-year-old leader for his "vigorous leadership" and "willingness to broaden and deepen" Saudi Arabia's support for common efforts.
For his part, the Crown Prince said his nation is "on the front line facing" very serious dangers in the region and the world.
He listed Iran and extremist organizations as the top challenges Saudi Arabia faces but said his country is "very optimistic under the leadership of President Trump."
During the White House meeting earlier in the week, Trump reportedly emphasized the need to normalize relations between the US and Saudi Arabia, which had soured in recent years over Saudi objections to the Iran nuclear deal, reached by the Obama administration.
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7 окт 2024
