A joint statement was issued by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Kingdom of Spain on the occasion of the official visit paid by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Vice President of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Defense, to the Kingdom of Spain. The statement said that His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince, Vice President of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Defense, paid an official visit to the Kingdom of Spain at the invitation of Spanish Government on 11-12 April 2018, with the aim of strengthening relations between the two friendly countries and developing areas of bilateral cooperation. Spain's King Felipe VI received HRH the Crown Prince and held a luncheon in honor of HRH the Crown Prince in Madrid. The King held a meeting with HRH the Crown Prince during which HRH the Crown Prince conveyed the greetings of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to the King, while the King sent his greetings to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques. During the meeting held between HRH the Crown Prince and Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy Brey, the two sides expressed their satisfaction with the progress achieved by bilateral relations in all fields, stressing the importance of deepening them in the interest of friendship between the two countries. HRH the Crown Prince held a productive meeting with Spain's Minister of Defense Maria Dolores de Cospedal, during which they discussed means of developing defense cooperation. Spain expressed its strong support for the Saudi Vision 2030, while the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia welcomed Spain as an important partner in implementing this vision that aims at diversifying economy and unleashing the potential of the Saudi society. HRH the Crown Prince and Spain's Prime Minister affirmed the strong partnership between the two countries, which will be the main mechanism for further progress in all aspects of bilateral relationship. --More 13:51 LOCAL TIME 10:51 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/1751767