{"id":85378,"date":"2017-10-16T13:19:00","date_gmt":"2017-10-16T13:19:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?guid=0fa673cee58f42313f18cf86a94d0fe0"},"modified":"2017-10-16T13:19:00","modified_gmt":"2017-10-16T13:19:00","slug":"press-release-foreign-office-minister-visits-riyadh","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?p=85378","title":{"rendered":"Press release: Foreign Office Minister visits Riyadh"},"content":{"rendered":"
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In meetings during the visit, including with Foreign Minister Al Jubeir, Mr Burt highlighted common UK-Gulf security interests and discussed a range of issues. These included UK support for Vision 2030, the need to redouble efforts to end the war in Yemen, and the tensions with Qatar.<\/p>\n

Mr Burt discussed the dire humanitarian and economic situation in Yemen with President Hadi and Foreign Minister Mekhlafi.<\/p>\n

Speaking after his visit to Riyadh, Minister Burt said:<\/p>\n

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Saudi Arabia is one of our strongest regional allies and we continue to work closely together in a range of important areas. We support the delivery of Saudi Arabia\u2019s ambitious reform programme, Vision 2030, and the need to resolve the ongoing dispute with Qatar.<\/p>\n

Central to all of my meetings was the ongoing conflict in Yemen. I made clear my concern that this conflict was now contributing to the largest humanitarian crisis in the world, and that the longer it continued the worse the situation would get. I also stressed the importance of keeping space open for the humanitarian community. Everyone agrees that urgent steps must be taken to make progress towards a political solution. The UK is playing a central role in these efforts and I call upon all parties to the conflict to show the flexibility required to keep the political process moving.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Further information<\/h2>\n