SAUDI ARABIA: On the second day of her visit to Saudi Arabia, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton meets foreign ministers from across the Gulf to discuss regional security

Record ID: 188943

  • Title: SAUDI ARABIA: On the second day of her visit to Saudi Arabia, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton meets foreign ministers from across the Gulf to discuss regional security
  • Date: 1st April 2012
  • Summary: RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA (MARCH 31, 2012) (REUTERS) ***CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** US AND GCC FLAGS VARIOUS OF U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE HILARY CLINTON ARRIVING AT GCC HEADQUARTERS IN RIYADH SHEIKH HAMAD BIN JASSIM BIN JABER AL-THANI, PRIME MINISTER AND MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, ARRIVING SECURITY MAN SAUDI FOREIGN MINISTER, PRINCE SAUD AL-FAISAL, ARRIVING SIGN READING IN ARABIC AND ENGLISH "UNITED ARAB EMIRATES" EMIRATE FOREIGN MINISTER, SHEIKH ABDULLAH BIN ZAYED BIN SULTAN AL-NAHYAN, ARRIVING SAUDI FOREIGN MINISTER PRINCE SAUD AL-FAISAL AND U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE HILARY CLINTON WALKING TO STAND FOR MEMORIAL PHOTO U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE HILARY CLINTON AND GCC FOREIGN MINISTERS POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPH REPORTERS U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE HILARY CLINTON AND GCC FOREIGN MINISTERS ENTERING CONFERENCE HALL WIDE OF CONFERENCE HALL U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE HILlARY CLINTON SEATED SAUDI FOREIGN MINISTER PRINCE SAUD AL-FAISAL SEATED PRIME MINISTER AND MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS SHEIKH HAMAD BIN JASSIM BIN JABER AL-THANI AND OMAN FOREIGN MINISTER YUSUF BIN ALAWI BIN ABDULLAH SEATED GCC LOGO BANNER READING IN ENGLISH AND ARABIC "FIRST MINISTERIAL MEETING OF THE GCC-US STRATEGIC COOPERATION FORUM"
  • Embargoed: 16th April 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Saudi Arabia, Saudi Arabia
  • Country: Saudi Arabia
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA4TDYPMI8D2TFUQ9IBK7IKTV5K
  • Story Text: U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton attended the inaugural meeting of a new U.S.-Gulf security forum in Riyadh on Saturday (March 31).
    Clinton said at the meeting with foreign ministers from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) the United States will work with Gulf Arab nations to strengthen their shared defenses against threats including Iran.
    Speculation about Tehran's nuclear ambitions is a source of anxiety among Sunni-led Gulf Arab states, for whom Shi'ite Iran has long been a regional rival.
    Clinton said Saturday's discussions with Gulf foreign ministers would include the political change that has swept the Middle East in the past year and the violence in Syria, in addition to Iran's disputed nuclear program "and curbing its interference in the affairs of its neighbors".
    Saudi Arabia, with Qatar, has led Arab efforts to press Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to end his crackdown on the uprising and step aside.
    The Saudis now want to see stronger action against Assad, including the arming of rebels, something the United States is reluctant to do for fear of being drawn into a messy civil war.
    After meeting Saudi and other Gulf Arab foreign ministers on Saturday, Clinton will head to Turkey for meetings with the Syrian opposition.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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