White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan speaks at a press briefing at the White House in Washington (Image: AP file photo)
The talks included progress in consolidating a 15-month-long ceasefire in Yemen and other issues.
The White House said “significant progress” had been made in Yemen peace efforts shortly after US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during a state visit. reuters said in a report.
The visit was aimed at strengthening ties with Riyadh and re-establishing the US as a major player in the region, as China aims to side with regional rivals to alienate Washington and persuade them to come to the peace negotiating table. insistence, as he had done earlier with Saudi Arabia. and Iran.
“They reviewed significant progress in negotiations to further strengthen the 15-month ceasefire in Yemen and welcomed ongoing UN-led efforts to end the war,” the White House statement said. , Also included many other issues.” ,
In 2015, a coalition led by Saudi Arabia intervened in Yemen after the Houthis, who were allied with Iran, captured the government in the capital, Sanaa. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Senegal and Sudan are part of the Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen. Qatar, Sudan and Morocco have pulled out of the alliance.
In April, a Saudi delegation engaged in peace talks with the Houthis in Sana’a to seek a permanent ceasefire agreement that would end military involvement in the conflict.
The Houthis’ top negotiator reported progress in the talks, and both sides have agreed to hold further consultations in the future.
Yemen’s conflict, which has killed thousands and left millions hungry, has been widely seen as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. reuters said in his report.
Sullivan also held talks with Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, National Security Adviser of the UAE, and Ajit Doval, National Security Adviser of India, where they expressed their shared vision of “a more secure and prosperous Middle East region connected with India and the world”. Moving forward” discussed.
It should be noted that the United Arab Emirates, India, Israel and the US are also part of the I2U2 group.
Israel, however, was not part of Sullivan’s agenda over the weekend, but a senior Israeli security official expected significant developments in the normalization of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia because of the visit.
The United States has provided military aid to Saudi Arabia for decades and considers the country a key ally in the region for its role in maintaining security and stability.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia is the world’s largest oil exporter and has been a major supplier of oil to the United States for many years. The two countries also have significant economic ties.
The relationship was strained by issues such as human rights, the war in Yemen, and the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Recent oil production cuts by the Saudi-led OPEC+ have also hurt bilateral relations.
read all Breaking News Here
