Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Second Deputy Premier and Minister of Defense, has met here at the Pentagon with US Secretary of Defense James Mattis and US senior officials including Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Joseph Dunford; Senior Advisor to US President Mr. Jared Kushner; National Security Adviser H.R McMaster; senior counselor to the President for Economic Initiatives Ms. Dina Powell; White House Chief Strategist Mr. Steve Bannon; Undersecretary of State for political Affairs Ambassador Thomas Shannon; Maj. Gen. Michael Fantini, the Principal Director for Middle East Policy at the US Department of Defense; Director of the Minister of Defense Office Ms. Sally Donnelly; Kevin Sweeney, Chief of Staff for Us Secretary of States; Senior Military Advisor to the US Secretary of State Rear Adm. Craig Faller and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Timothy Lenderking. During the meeting, the two sides reviewed bilateral relations and areas of strategic cooperation between the two countries and ways of enhancing them. They also discussed the latest developments in the Middle East and the international arena in addition to efforts to address them especially with regard to the fight against terrorism. The two sides discussed a number of issues of common interests. At the end of the extended meeting, the two parties expressed their satisfaction with the level of rapprochement between the Saudi and the American sides on the issues and files that have been discussed and ways to address them. They also agreed to undertake several initiatives to be worked on shortly after. The meeting was attended by Dr. Musaad Al-Aiban, Minister of the State and Member of the Cabinet; Adel bin Ahmad Al-Jubeir, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Khaled Al-Humaidan, Chief of the General Intelligence; Mohammed Al-Ayesh; assistant to the Minister of Defense; Saud Al-Qahtani, Adviser at the Royal Court and Supervisor General of the Center for Media and Affairs Studies; Fahd Al-Tonasi, advisor to the Royal Court; Thamer Sabhan, Minister of State for the Arabian Gulf at the ministry of Foreign Affairs and Maj. Gen. Ahmed Asiri, the military Advisor to the Minister of Defense. A Cable of Thanks to President Trump Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Second Deputy Premier and Minister of Defense, has sent a cable of thanks to President Donald Trump of the United States of America. The Deputy Crown Prince said in his cable, I am pleased as I am leaving your friendly country after the end of my visit to extend to your Excellency my deep thanks for the warm reception and generous hospitality accorded to me and the accompanying delegation. Mr. President: I would like to commend again the historical and strategic relations between our two countries witnessing further development in all fields, stressing that the extended discussions held during the visit with your Excellency and the US senior officials will contribute to deepening and strengthening these relations and enhancing the bonds of mutual cooperation to achieve the interests of our two countries and their friendly peoples under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and your Excellency as well as will contributed in achieving security, stability and peace in the region and the world. I wish Your Excellency constant good health and happiness, and the friendly people of the United States of America further progress and prosperity.
