• Liz Truss is on a Gulf tour aimed at boosting economic and security ties
• They discussed Yemen, Iran, and the wider Middle East region

Arab News

RIYADH: Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan on Wednesday held talks with his British counterpart, Liz Truss, to discuss Yemen, Iran, and the wider Middle East region.

Truss arrived in the Saudi capital earlier in the day as part of a Gulf tour aimed at boosting economic and security ties. The trip followed a free trade agreement the UK began with the Gulf Cooperation Council as part of its deals to develop trade after leaving the European Union.

The two sides discussed the Kingdom’s efforts and initiatives to reach a political solution to the conflict in Yemen in a way that supports development and stability for the Yemeni people, the Saudi foreign ministry said.

They also discussed the most prominent developments regarding the Iranian nuclear deal and the ongoing negotiations in Vienna.

🇬🇧🇸🇦 An honour to meet my Saudi counterpart His Highness @FaisalbinFarhan in Riyadh today to discuss:

🌍 Working together on infrastructure in Africa and Asia
🛡 Security
📈 An even stronger UK-Saudi trade relationship pic.twitter.com/re6NZ2HDzP

— Liz Truss (@trussliz) October 20, 2021

Tehran has been holding up negotiations aimed at reviving a landmark 2015 accord that scales back its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief since before Ebrahim Raisi was sworn in as president in August. Iran has stopped honoring some of its commitments and increased its uranium enrichment, which sparked concern from the UN nuclear watchdog agency and the international community.

During the meeting, Prince Faisal and Truss “reviewed the strong and historical Saudi-British relations, and opportunities to strengthen them in all fields,” the foreign ministry said.

They also discussed Saudi-British efforts to lay the foundations for peace, security, and stability in the Middle East and the world. They also exchanged views on several issues of common interest.

“An honor to meet my Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan in Riyadh today to discuss working together on infrastructure in Africa and Asia, security, and an even stronger UK-Saudi trade relationship,” Truss said in a tweet following the meeting.

Saudi Ambassador to UK Prince Khalid bin Bandar also attended the meeting.

#Riyadh| Foreign Minister H.H Prince @FaisalbinFarhan met with the #British Minister of Foreign Affairs and Development Mrs. Elizabeth Truss today at the Ministry in Riyadh 🇸🇦🇬🇧 pic.twitter.com/ESG1Pe1vE9

— Foreign Ministry 🇸🇦 (@KSAmofaEN) October 20, 2021