I was saddened to learn of the passing of Crown Prince Nayif bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia, who, as Minister of the Interior for almost 40 years, made an historic contribution to the security of the Kingdom and to its strong partnership with the United States in the fight against terrorism. I was honored to be received by Crown Prince Nayif in Riyadh last October and had looked forward to welcoming him to the United States. I offer my deepest condolences to King Abdullah, the royal family and the people of Saudi Arabia.