Saudi-US Foreign Minister's Crown Prince Discusses Middle East Region Security-Stability Efforts

JAKARTA - Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and United States Secretary of StateMarco Rubio discussed various efforts and ways to achieve security and stability in the Middle East region.

According to the official Saudi news agency, bin Salman and Rubio held a meeting at the Al-Salam Palace in Jeddahdan to discuss several aspects of their bilateral relations, as well as opportunities to consolidate and develop relations in various fields.

"Both parties are involved in discussions on the latest regional and international developments, exchanging views and efforts aimed at achieving security and stability," said the news agency as quoted by ANTARA from Anadolu, Tuesday, March 11.

The US is one of the joint mediators with Qatar and Egypt in the ceasefire process between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, amid ongoing efforts to maintain a ceasefire in Gaza and secure a prisoner swap.

Israeli authority leader Benjamin Netanyahu seeks to extend the first phase of the prisoner swap to release more Israeli prisoners without willing to fulfill the military or humanitarian obligations outlined in the ceasefire agreement, to calm hardline groups within his government.

However, Hamas rejected this approach and insisted that Israel adhere to ceasefire provisions, urging mediators to push for immediate negotiations in the second phase, which included Israel's full withdrawal and the end of the war.