King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud of Saudi Arabia called President Obama today to express his regret at not being able to travel to Washington this week and confirmed he was sending Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef and Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to represent the Kingdom. The President and King Salman reviewed the agenda for the upcoming meetings and agreed on the necessity of working closely, along with other GCC member states, to build a collective capacity to address more effectively the range of threats facing the region and to resolve regional conflicts. The President and King Salman also discussed the importance of a comprehensive agreement between the P5+1 and Iran that verifiably ensures the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program. The President welcomed Saudi Arabia’s announcement of a cease-fire and humanitarian pause in Yemen and both leaders agreed on the need to address the urgent humanitarian situation in the country.
The two leaders emphasized the strength of the two countries’ partnership, based on their shared interest and commitment to the stability and prosperity of the region, and agreed to continue our close consultations on a wide range of issues.