Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman is briefed on US investment projects in the Kingdom during a dinner party held in Washington by the Saudi American Business Council where the King met the CEOs of major US companies. — SPA Saudi Gazette report WASHINGTON — Saudi Arabia and the US underscored the importance of continuing their efforts to maintain security, prosperity and stability in the region and in particular to counter Iran's destabilizing activities. In a joint statement issued here on Saturday after a meeting between Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and US President Barack Obama at the White House on Friday, the two leaders underscored the importance of confronting terrorism and extremism. They discussed fast-tracking military supplies to the Kingdom, as well as enhancing cooperation on counter-terrorism, maritime security, cyber security, and ballistic missile defense. They reiterated the continued commitment between Saudi Arabia and the US toward security cooperation, including joint efforts to counter Al-Qaeda and Daesh (the so-called IS). They pledged to cooperate to stem the flow of foreign fighters, to counter hateful propaganda by Daesh, and to cut off terrorist financing streams. Both leaders stressed the need for a long-term, multi-year counterterrorism effort against both Al-Qaeda and Daesh, requiring sustained cooperation from partner nations across the globe. On Yemen, the two leaders stressed the urgent need to reach a political solution within the GCC initiative and the outcome of the National Dialogue and UN Security Council resolution No. 2216. Both leaders expressed concern over the humanitarian situation in Yemen. King Salman conveyed Saudi Arabia's commitment to continue assisting the Yemeni people and to work with coalition and international partners to allow unfettered access to relief operations vetted by the UN and its partners. Both leaders stressed the importance of finding a lasting solution to the conflict in Syria based on the principles of Geneva Declaration to end the suffering of the Syrian people, maintain continuity of civilian and military government institutions, preserve the unity and territorial integrity of Syria, and to ensure a peaceful and pluralistic state free of discrimination or sectarianism. The two leaders asserted that any meaningful political transition would entail the departure of Bashar Al-Assad who has lost legitimacy to lead Syria. The two sides expressed their support for the Iraqi government's efforts to defeat Daesh and encouraged the full implementation of recently-agreed reforms by parliament. Implementation of these reforms will support security and stability in Iraq and preserve its national unity and territorial integrity, as well as unify the internal front to fight terrorism, which threatens all Iraqis. Regarding the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the two leaders underscored the importance of the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative and the necessity of reaching a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement to the conflict with two states living side-by-side. They also encouraged both parties to take steps to preserve and advance the two-state solution. The two leaders emphasized their continued support for Lebanon. The two leaders affirmed the importance of Lebanon's parliament expeditiously electing a new president in accordance with the country's constitution. They also discussed the challenge of global climate change and agreed to work together to achieve a successful outcome at the Paris negotiations in December, taking the Kingdom's special circumstances into account.
