Riyadh, February 18, 2025 – The Europe Today: Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at Al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh on Monday.
During the meeting, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman welcomed Rubio and his accompanying delegation to the Kingdom. Rubio expressed his appreciation for the warm reception and reiterated his commitment to strengthening bilateral ties between Saudi Arabia and the United States.
The two leaders reviewed various aspects of Saudi-US relations and explored ways to further enhance cooperation in multiple fields. They also discussed key regional and international developments, exchanging views on global security and stability efforts.
The meeting was attended by senior Saudi officials, including Saudi Ambassador to the United States Princess Reema bint Bandar, Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Minister of State, Cabinet Member and National Security Advisor Dr. Musaed Al-Aiban, and Secretary to the Crown Prince Dr. Bandar Al-Rasheed.
On the American side, attendees included National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, Chargé d’Affaires of the US Embassy Alison Dilworth, US Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Androbek, Advisor to the Secretary of State Michael Needham, Director of Policy and Planning Michael Anton, and Senior Advisor Juan Varela.
Earlier in the day, Rubio held a separate meeting with his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, at the Saudi Foreign Ministry’s headquarters in Riyadh. The discussions focused on bilateral relations, as well as regional and international issues of mutual interest.
Rubio’s visit to the Kingdom, his first since assuming office as US Secretary of State, is also aimed at preparing for the US-Russian talks on Ukraine scheduled for Tuesday. These discussions will finalize details for the anticipated peace summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, which Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is expected to attend.
US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff also arrived in Riyadh on Monday to join Rubio for talks with the Russian delegation. According to the Kremlin, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Foreign Policy Advisor to President Vladimir Putin, Yuri Ushakov, will represent Russia at Tuesday’s meeting in Riyadh.
