US Secretary Antony Blinken arrives in Saudi Arabia; To press for Gaza ceasefire talks

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Riyadh on Monday as part of his visit to Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Israel.

In Saudi Arabia, Blinken will attend a ministerial meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council to advance coordination on regional security, the US State Department said.

At the World Economic Forum's special meeting on global cooperation, development and energy for development, Blinken will coordinate with U.S. partners to ensure continued progress on climate change mitigation and the global energy transition.

During his April 29 to May 1 visit to meet with America's Arab partners, Blinken will discuss ongoing efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza that could ensure the release of hostages.

The US Secretary of State will discuss the recent increase in humanitarian assistance to Gaza and emphasize the importance of ensuring that increase is sustained.

The US State Department said Blinken would also stress the importance of preventing the conflict from spreading and discuss ongoing efforts to achieve lasting peace and security in the region, including a path to an independent Palestinian state with security guarantees for Israel. also includes.

The State Department announced that top US diplomats would also visit Israel and Jordan.

Blinken arrived in Riyadh hours after US President Joe Biden and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu spoke by telephone about ongoing talks to halt Israel's offensive into the Gaza Strip in exchange for the release of the hostages.

A senior State Department official told reporters traveling with Blinken on Sunday that he would meet with Saudi officials and the region's foreign ministers regarding the future of Gaza, CNN reported.

Blinken previously told CNN in an interview that it may be possible to work out a two-state solution proposal for Israelis and Palestinians, as well as a framework for normalizing relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, before a ceasefire is implemented.