Saudi foreign minister, US's Blinken discuss developments in Palestine

[CAIRO] Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud held a phone call with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to discuss the latest developments "in Palestine and in the region", Saudi state news agency SPA reported on Sunday.

They reviewed "the strategic relations between the kingdom and the U.S. and ways to boost them in all fields, in addition to the most prominent developments, foremost of which are developments in Palestine, and in the region," SPA said.

The US State Department said on Sunday that the two discussed "the ongoing efforts to calm tensions in Israel and the West Bank and Gaza and bring the current violence to an end."

"The Secretary lamented the loss of Palestinian and Israeli lives and urged engagement to prevent a deepening of the crisis. He also expressed his belief that Palestinians and Israelis deserve equal measures of freedom, dignity, security, and prosperity," the State Department added.

They also discussed bolstering Saudi defences, achieving a comprehensive ceasefire and transition to a political process in Yemen, and continued progress on human rights, the State Department said.

REUTERS