British Prime Minister Theresa May welcomed the appointment of Prince Mohammed bin Salman as crown prince and deputy prime minister of Saudi Arabia. In a statement Wednesday, May said she looks forward to working with Prince Mohammed to deepen the strong bilateral ties between the two friendly countries in the coming years, building on the constructive meetings that took place between the two sides in Saudi Arabia earlier this year. "Relations between Saudi Arabia and the UK are strong and historic, and we continue to work closely together in a number of areas," she said. "Security and intelligence cooperation between our two countries is very vital as we face a common threat from terrorism, and trade and investment ties between our two countries are important for the prosperity of all our citizens," she said. She pointed out that Britain remains a firm and a consistent supporter of the ambitious reform agenda "Vision 2030" in Saudi Arabia, which are necessary for the long-term stability and success of the country. She also praised the efforts of Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, "who played a central role in our counter-terrorism cooperation and been a true friend of UK for many year".
