US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is scheduled to travel to Saudi Arabia next week, according to an announcement made by the State Department on Friday. The purpose of Blinken’s trip is to facilitate discussions between the Kingdom and the United States aimed at brokering a lasting cease-fire between Sudan’s warring generals. These talks are currently taking place in Jeddah.
During his visit from June 6 to June 8, Blinken will engage in meetings with Saudi officials to address various issues, including US-Saudi strategic cooperation on regional and global matters, as well as bilateral concerns related to economic and security cooperation. Matt Miller, the State Department Spokesman, stated that the discussions will focus on strengthening ties between the two countries.
In addition to the meetings with Saudi officials, Blinken will also participate in a ministerial meeting between the United States and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The objective of this gathering is to foster greater cooperation with Gulf partners and explore ways to enhance security, promote stability, facilitate de-escalation, encourage regional integration, and create economic opportunities across the Middle East. Miller emphasized the importance of collaboration in addressing these shared goals.
Furthermore, Blinken and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan will jointly host a ministerial meeting of the Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh. The purpose of this meeting is to address the ongoing threat posed by Daesh (also known as ISIS) and reaffirm the commitment of the participating countries to ensure the enduring defeat of the terrorist organization.
The visit of Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Saudi Arabia underscores the importance of the ongoing discussions on a cease-fire in Sudan and highlights the shared interests of the United States and Saudi Arabia in promoting regional security, stability, and counterterrorism efforts.
