FILE - In this Jan. 27, 2015 file photo, President Barack Obama meets Saudi King Salman in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (AP Photo)
Washington - Obama met the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia, in the White House.
Published: Sat 5 Sep 2015, 10:48 PM
US President Barack Obama said on Friday the US shares Saudi Arabia's concerns about Yemen and the need to restore an inclusive and functioning government there.
Obama met the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia, in the White House.
Obama said the two sides "share concerns" about the need to restore a functioning government in Yemen and relieve an urgent humanitarian crisis. Obama also said that the pair "share concerns about the crisis in Syria and will have the opportunity to discuss how we can arrive at a political transition process within Syria that can... end the horrific conflict there."
Obama said it's obviously a challenging time for the Middle East.
King Salman said the US-Saudi relationship benefits the world. He said Obama is a friend. "This is obviously a challenging time in world affairs, particularly in the Middle East," Obama said. Obama made the rare move of greeting the king at the doors of the White House.
King Salman said his visit was a "symbol of the deep and strong relationship that we have with the United States."
"Both nations are close strategic partners in spite of their differences, and both states need each other," said Anthony Cordesman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
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