Saudi Crown Prince welcomes US House speaker Paul Ryan in Riyadh

Saudi King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman welcomed the speaker of the US House of Representatives Paul Ryan in Riyadh on Wednesday.

During the meeting, the two sides discussed “bilateral cooperation" between the longtime allies, reported Saudi Press Agency and also discussed issues of common interest.

US-Saudi relations improved markedly since President Donald Trump took office last year with a much tougher policy towards Iran that has seen his administration demand revisions that the other parties to the deal warn will torpedo it.

The audience was attended by Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz, Minister of Interior; Prince Abdullah bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Governor of Makkah Region; Prince Khaled bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Saudi ambassador to the US; Chief of the State Security Apparatus Abdulaziz Al-Huwairini, and Chief of the General Intelligence Khalid Al-Hamdan.

On the American side, it was attended by the Chargé d'Affaires at the US Embassy Christopher Henzel; Congressman, Chairman of House Armed Services Committee Mac Thornberry; Congressman, Chairman of House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Devin Nunes; Congressman, Chairman of Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Trey Gowdy; Congressman at House Ways and Means, Oversight and Government Reform Committee Vern Buchanan; Congresswoman at House Armed Services Committee Liz Cheney; Congresswoman at House Armed Services Committee Stephanie Murphy; Congressman at House Appropriations Committee Scott Taylor, and National Security Adviser at the Office of House of Representatives’ Speaker Jeffrey Dressler.

On Thursday, Ryan is due to travel on to Abu Dhabi for talks with leaders of close Saudi ally the United Arab Emirates.

(With AFP)