Saudi Arabia's King Salman has backed US President Donald Trump's request to have safe zones in war-torn Syria and Yemen as the two leaders agreed to strengthen bilateral economic and energy cooperation, the White House has said.
"The President requested and the King agreed to support safe zones in Syria and Yemen, as well as supporting other ideas to help the many refugees who are displaced by the ongoing conflicts," the White House said after Trump and the Saudi King had their first telephonic conversation yesterday.
During the call, the two leaders reaffirmed the longstanding friendship and strategic partnership between the US and Saudi Arabia.
"They agreed on the importance of strengthening joint efforts to fight the spread of radical Islamic terrorism and also on the importance of working jointly to address challenges to regional peace and security, including the conflicts in Syria and Yemen," the White House said.
Trump and the Saudi King also agreed on the importance of "rigorously" enforcing the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with Iran and of addressing Iran's destabilising regional activities.
Trump voiced support for the Kingdom's Vision 2030 economic programme. Both leaders expressed desire to explore additional steps to strengthen bilateral economic and energy cooperation.
"The two leaders also discussed an invitation from the King for President Trump to lead a Middle East effort to defeat terrorism and to help build a new future, economically and socially, for the people of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the region," the White House said.
"The President and King Salman closed by underscoring their personal commitment to continued consultations on a range of regional and bilateral issues," it said.
According to the White House, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Muhammad bin Zayid Al Nuhayyan in another telephone call also supported the idea of safe zones in Syria and Yemen.
"The two leaders reaffirmed the strong partnership between both countries and committed to further strengthen cooperation on fighting radical Islamic terrorism. They discussed recent developments in the Middle East, including the fight against ISIS and joint efforts to address the conflict in Yemen and elsewhere in the region," the White House said.
"The President also raised the idea of supporting safe zones for the refugees displaced by the conflict in the region, and the Crown Prince agreed to support this initiative. The President and Crown Prince closed by underscoring their commitment to close consultations on issues of mutual concern," it added.
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