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Thursday, May 16, 2024 12:7 GMT
Antony Blinken, the US Secretary of State, sits down with Borge Brende, the president of World Economic Forum, for a conversation during the last day of the Special Meeting On Global Collaboration, Growth And Energy For Development in Riyadh.Blinken earlier joined the opening of a US-GCC meeting, where he told the region’s foreign ministers that the best way to ease the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza would be to negotiate a ceasefire agreement that would release hostages held by Hamas.“The most effective way to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, to alleviate the suffering of children, women and men, and to create space for a more just and durable solution is to get a cease-fire and the hostages out,” he said. “But we’re also not waiting on a ceasefire to take the necessary steps to meet the needs of civilians in Gaza.”Blinken also told the GCC ministers that Iran’s confrontation with Israel showed the need for greater defense integration. “This attack highlights the acute and growing threat from Iran but also the imperative that we work together on integrated defense.” The top US diplomat met separately with Saudi Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Minister of Foreign Affairs, where they reviewed ways to strengthen bilateral relations and joint cooperation in various fields, the Saudi Press Agency said.