Return To The Middle East, US Secretary Of State Antony Blinken Meets Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman
US Secretary of State Blinken meets Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. (Twitter/@KSamofaEN)

JAKARTA - United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed "the development of a more integrated area" with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at a meeting in Riyadh, the State Department said.

Saudi Arabia is the first stop of five visits he will make this time, his fifth visit to the Middle East to advance diplomatic solutions to end the four-month Hamas-Israeli conflict in Gaza.

During the meeting in Riyadh, Blinken "underlined the importance of addressing humanitarian needs in Gaza and preventing the spread of further conflict," the State Department said, as reported by The Times of Israel on February 6.

"The minister and crown prince continue discussions on regional coordination to reach the end of the crisis in Gaza that provides lasting peace and security for Israel and Palestine," the US statement continued.

This latest diplomatic push was also carried out as Foreign Minister Blinken tried to help allies unite, in reaching an agreement between Israel and Hamas that would lead to the release of hostages in exchange for weeks of ceasefire, citing The National News.

"The Minister and Crown Prince also discussed the urgent need to reduce regional tensions, including stopping Houthi attacks that undermine freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and progress in the Yemeni peace process," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said.

Earlier, Saudi Arabia said it was still interested in normalizing relations with Israel, but it depended on Israel's approval to pave the way for future Palestinian state formation, something Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected.

The plan, apart from Saudi Arabia, Foreign Minister Blinken is also scheduled to travel to Qatar, Egypt, Israel and the West Bank (Palestinian), before returning to the United States on Thursday.

HRH Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman meets with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in #Riyadh.pic.twitter.com/qh2PVAUNEF


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