Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir said on Friday that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia would have strong ties with the future US president. He made this statement at a news briefing here that followed a meeting of Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, second deputy premier and minister of defense and US President Barack Obama. On Yemen, Jubeir said, the Saudi-led coalition fighting in the war-torn country is "doing everything we can to minimize civilian casualties" from air strikes. Also, he denied media reports that suggested the United Arab Emirates' involvement in the Yemen war has changed. Jubeir confirmed that the UAE's stance towards the Arab coalition has not changed. The UAE's stance has been very clear since the very beginning. It is a major country in the coalition for restoring legitimacy in Yemen, a country for combating terror and it has not changed any of its stances. On Syria, Jubeir said, Saudi Arabia supports a more aggressive approach against Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad's government, including imposing a no-fly zone and arming rebels with surface-to-air missiles. "If the Bashar regime feels that it can continue in a stalemate, much less prevail, there will be no incentive for them to take the necessary steps to bring about a transition in Syria," Jubeir said. Jubeir added that the difference between the Saudi stance and that of the US towards Syria is minimal. The two countries support a political solution, they support the moderate Syrian opposition and the two countries do not want any role for Bashar Al-Assad in future Syria. He said the two countries are trying to safeguard the state's institutions. Answering a question, Jubeir said the Kingdom's stance towards Iran has not changed. The Kingdom views Iran as a country that interferes in the affairs of other countries in the region and supports terrorism. He added: "If Iran really wants good relations with the region's countries, it must give up its principle of exporting the revolution. It must respect the principle of good neighborliness and it should not view the citizens of the region's countries from a sectarian perspective." On the meeting between US President Obama and Prince Muhammad, Jubeir said the meeting was positive and the US president was briefed on the Kingdom's vision for the coming years through Vision 2030. He said the two sides discussed bilateral relations and focused on the strategic relations between the two countries and the means to boost relations. Jubeir said Saudi Arabia demanded of Washington to publish the report on Sept. 11 attacks. He stressed that Saudi Arabia did not play any role in the attacks. He said the Kingdom is a main target for Al-Qaeda and Daesh (so-called IS) attacks. He added that the Kingdom combats terror with all means in its command. — SPA/Al Arabiya English
