President Barack Obama of the United States has welcomed Crown Prince Mohammed bin Naif bin Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister; Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Second Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, and the delegation of the Kingdom to the summit at Camp David. In a press statement released by the White House today, the president said, "As all of you are aware, the United States and Saudi Arabia have an extraordinary friendship and relationship that dates back to Franklin Roosevelt and King Faisal, and we are continuing to build that relationship during a very challenging time. "This gives us an opportunity to discuss some of the bilateral issues, including the crisis in Yemen and how we can build on the ceasefire that's been established to restore a process for an inclusive, legitimate government inside of Yemen. And it will also give us a chance to discuss some of the broader issues that will be the topic of the GCC-U.S. Summit tomorrow. "I can say that, on a personal level, my work and the U.S. government's work with ... Crown Prince bin Naif on counterterrorism issues has been absolutely critical not only to maintaining stability in the region but also protecting the American people. And I want to thank them for their extraordinary support and hard work and coordination on our counterterrorism efforts. And they came in as a critical component of our coalition in the fight against ISIL, and I'm sure that we'll have opportunities to discuss as well the progress that's been made in the fight against ISIL in Iraq, as well as the continuing crisis in Syria, and the importance of us addressing not only the humanitarian crisis but the need to bring about a more inclusive and legitimate government there." The Crown Prince thanked the President for his kind invitation and conveyed the greetings and appreciation of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman, who attaches great importance to the strategic and historic relationship between the two countries. The Crown Prince said, "This historic relationship we seek to strengthen and broaden and deepen with time. Mr. President, you spoke about the situation in the region, and we look forward to, God willing, to working with you to overcome the challenges and to bring about calm and stability in the region."
