Prince Salman Bin Abdul Aziz, Minister of Defense, is received by Leon Panetta, US Defense Secretary, at the Pentagon in Washington Wednesday. — SPA WASHINGTON — Prince Salman Bin Abdul Aziz, Minister of Defense, met with Leon Panetta, US Defense Secretary, at the Pentagon here Wednesday at the start of an official visit to the United States. On arrival at Andrews Air Force Base in the US state of Maryland, Prince Salman was received by US Assistant Defense Secretary for International Security Affairs Joseph McMillan, US Ambassador to the Kingdom James B. Smith and a number of senior US military officials. Prince Salman is accompanied by a number of princes and senior officials. In an arrival statement, Prince Salman said the visit of King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, to the United States in 2005, has greatly promoted the strong historical relations between the two countries in various fields. “My visit comes in the context of the care extended by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques for boosting these relations and the joint endeavor to serve peace, security and stability in the region,” Prince Salman said. Prince Salman also met with General James Mattis, Commander of the United States Central Command (USCENTCOM) and John Brennan, Assistant to the US President and Deputy National Security Advisor for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism. Prince Salman arrived here from London at the end of an official visit to Britain. His trip focused on promoting bilateral relations between the two countries in addition to a number of other issues of common concern.
