The State Department announced that Secretary of State Tony Blinken will visit Saudi Arabia for two days starting on the 29th.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said on the 27th that Secretary Blinken intends to discuss a ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas, which the United States has designated as a terrorist group, with partner countries in the region.
In Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, foreign ministers from several Western countries and regional countries are due to meet on the occasion of a special meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) to be held from the 28th to the 29th.
The ‘Washington Post’ newspaper quoted WEF President Börge Brende and reported that Secretary Blinken, as well as the foreign ministers of the UK, Germany, and France, were due to attend this meeting.
In addition, foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, and Jordan will be present.
Spokesman Miller said that Secretary Blinken will also discuss ways to expand humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip during this visit and emphasized that these efforts must continue.
They also said they would discuss ongoing efforts to ensure lasting peace and security in the region, including a path to an independent state for Palestine while stressing the importance of preventing the spread of conflict and ensuring Israel’s security.
Meanwhile, some media reported, citing Israeli officials, that Secretary Blinken would visit Israel on the 30th, but the State Department did not confirm this.
VOA news
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