RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman held talks on Monday with Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki in the capital Riyadh.
During the talks, they reviewed the bilateral relations between the two countries and developments in the Horn of Africa and the region.
They also discussed the importance and role of the Council of Arab and African States bordering the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden and ways of developing and enhancing opportunities for cooperation in various fields.
The meeting was also attended by Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and his Eritrean counterpart Osman Saleh Mohammed, among other senior officials from both sides.
Last month, the new council was formed in Saudi Arabia aimed at securing the waterways of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
The council, which includes Egypt, Jordan, Eritrea, Yemen, Sudan, Djibouti and Somalia, will increase cooperation between the countries and aims to tackle piracy, smuggling and other threats in the seas that are key international shipping routes.
The Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden are two of the world’s busiest shipping routes connecting Europe to Asia and the Middle East.
King Salman also hosted a lunch banquet in honor of Afwerki and his accompanying delegation.
The Kingdom played a leading role in September last year in hosting historic talks between the leaders of Eritrea and Djibouti. The two nations have been at loggerheads for decades over a long-standing border dispute.

RIYADH: The secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Dr. Naif bin Falah Al-Hajraf, on Monday called on King Salman. The king congratulated Al-Hajraf over his appointment as the GCC secretary-general and wished him success.
Al-Hajraf thanked the king and expressed his resolve to enhance cooperation between GCC countries and to achieve the aspirations of the Gulf leaders.  During the meeting, they reviewed several issues related to the Gulf countries.
Al-Hajraf is the second Kuwaiti to assume the position since the formation of the GCC in 1981.
He is the former finance minister of Kuwait and he has also served as minister of education and higher education.

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman met with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Monday at the Royal Court in the capital Riyadh.
A formal reception was held for Mitsotakis and his accompanying delegation upon their arrival in the Kingdom, which was attended by members of the royal family, ministers, and military leaders.
During the meeting, they reviewed bilateral relations between the two countries and means of boosting them in all fields, as well as regional developments.
The talks were also attended by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Foreign Minster Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz, Interior Minster Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Nayef, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir, Finance Minister Mohammad Al-Jadaan, among others.