King Salman-McCain talks focus on boosting Saudi-US ties

King Salman receives US Sen. John McCain in Riyadh Tuesday. (AFP)

RIYADH: King Salman received US Sen. John McCain and held talks on different aspects of US-Saudi relations here at Al-Yamamah Palace Tuesday.
“During the meeting, King Salman and the American senator reviewed the relationship between Saudi Arabia and the US,” said an SPA report.
“McCain met top Saudi officials including King Salman, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif, and Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir,” said Johann Schmonsees, a spokesman of the US Embassy. However, he chose not to speak about the issues discussed between the influential US senator and high-ranking Saudi officials.
McCain, who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, arrived in Riyadh after talks on Syria with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The SPA report said that Saudi officials and McCain discussed “a number of issues of common concern including enhancing cooperation between the Kingdom and the US in various fields.”
McCain also met and discussed topics of mutual interest with Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Prince Miteb bin Abdullah, minister of National Guard. The discussions focused on cooperation between the two countries.
Sen. McCain’s visit comes two days before Thursday’s UN-brokered peace talks in Geneva between Syria’s government and the opposition
Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar together with Western powers including the US have been working closely to restore peace and security in Syria. They are also members of a US-led coalition battling Daesh and other terror outfits there.
The Kingdom has been at the forefront of all peace efforts that are directed to settle conflicts in the Middle East.
Recently, Al-Jubeir expressed optimism that the Trump presidency will be more engaged in the region, particularly in containing Iran; which backs the Bashar Assad regime and rebels in Yemen.