Saudi crown prince, Blinken meet on Gaza conflict, bilateral ties

RIYADH, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud met Monday with visiting U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in the kingdom's oasis city of Al-Ula to discuss the ongoing conflict in Gaza and bilateral relations, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

During the meeting, the Saudi crown prince stressed the importance of stopping the Israeli military offensive in Gaza and intensifying humanitarian action, the report said.

He also underscored the need to work to create conditions for restoring stability and a peace process to ensure that the Palestinian people obtain their legitimate rights and achieve just and lasting peace, it added.

Blinken is on his fourth trip to the Middle East since the Israel-Hamas conflict broke out on Oct. 7, 2023, which has led to escalating tensions across the region.

Earlier on Monday, Blinken held a meeting with Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the president of the United Arab Emirates, in which the two sides also stressed the importance of avoiding the expansion of the conflict in the region and finding a clear solution toward regional stability.

Speaking to reporters after meeting with the Saudi crown prince, Blinken said he had discussed the Middle East's future with regional leaders and reached agreements on a few objectives in their meetings.

"We agreed to work together and coordinate our efforts to help Gaza stabilize and recover, to chart a political path forward for Palestinians, and to work toward long-term peace, security and stability," he said.

The Saudi crown prince and Blinken also exchanged views on bilateral relations, according to the Saudi Press Agency.