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Blinken in first phone call with Saudi counterpart


Bangladeshpost
Published : 06 Feb 2021 08:46 PM

US Secretary of State Antony Blinkendiscussed “common challenges” faced by Washington and Riyadh in his firstphone call with Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan, state media saidSaturday, reports AFP.

Bin Farhan congratulated Blinken on his appointment and said Riyadh lookedforward to working with Washington, said the official Saudi Press Agency(SPA).

The kingdom was keen to cooperate with President Joe Biden’s USadministration to uphold “security and stability” in the region, it said.Blinken and bin Farhan also discussed the “historical and strategicrelations” between the two countries, the agency added.

The reported phone call comes after Biden announced Thursday he was endingUS support for Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen, where it has been involved since2015 to shore up the government against the Iran-backed Huthi rebels.

Biden also said his administration would end all support, includingconnected arms sales for ally Saudi Arabia in the war that has brought impoverished Yemen to its knees.

He also appointed veteran diplomat Timothy Lenderking, who has wideknowledge of the region, as US special envoy for Yemen.

Saudi Arabia reacted to Biden’s decisions by welcoming his “commitment tocooperate with the kingdom to defend its sovereignty and counter threatsagainst it,” SPA said.