Saudi-UK Foreign Ministers meet discusses security, regional issues, trade tie-ups

Riyadh: Prince Faisal bin Farhan, foreign minister of Saudi Arabia, met his British counterpart, Liz Truss, on Wednesday and discussed Yemen, Iran, and the wider Middle East region, Arab News reported. Saudi Ambassador to the UK, Prince Khalid bin Bandar was also present in the meeting.

Saudi foreign ministry said that the Kingdom's efforts to reach a political solution to the conflict in Yemen, supporting development and stability for the Yemeni people, were discussed in the meeting.

According to the ministry, Prince Faisal and Truss reviewed Saudi-British relations and opportunities to strengthen the historic bond in all fields. They also discussed the two countries' efforts to lay the foundations for peace, security and stability in the Middle East as well as in the world.

Also, the major developments regarding the Iranian nuclear deal and ongoing negotiations with Vienna were discussed.

Iran has been blocking negotiations to revive the 2015 accord that scales back its nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief. It has deviated from some of its commitments and increased its uranium enrichment, sparking concern on UN's IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) and the international community.

After the meeting, Truss tweeted that it was an honour to meet Prince Faisal and discuss working together on infrastructure in Africa and Asia, security, and an even stronger UK-Saudi trade relationship.

Truss was on a Gulf tour and arrived in Riyadh earlier on Wednesday. Her trip was aimed at boosting economic and security ties. The trip followed a free trade agreement the UK began with the Gulf Cooperation Council.