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Blinken meets with Saudi Arabia's MBS, US cites 'convergence' on issues

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Al-Monitor that he and the crown prince discussed "a lot" during their meeting.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on June 6, 2023
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah on June 6, 2023. — Saudi Press Agency

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia — US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman early Wednesday, hours after arriving in Saudi Arabia for talks with Saudi officials on security and economic cooperation. 

MBS, as the prince is known, met with Blinken just after midnight at the Al Salam Royal Palace in the coastal city of Jeddah. Blinken told Al-Monitor after leaving the meeting that the pair discussed "a lot," but he did not elaborate.

A US official later described their meeting as "an open, candid discussion that covered the full range of regional and bilateral issues."

"There was a good degree of convergence on potential initiatives where we share the same interests, while also recognizing where we have differences," the official said. 

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