WASHINGTON —Deputy Minister of Defense Prince Khalid Bin Salman met on Thursday with US Defense Secretary Mark Esper at the Pentagon and discussed issues of mutual interests.

Prince Khalid was greeted with a military honor guard on arrival at the Pentagon.

In opening comments, Esper and Prince Khalid said they intended to work toward strengthening the bilateral relationship between the two countries.

"The US-Saudi relationship is one of the most enduring in the Middle East, and I intend to maintain and grow those strong ties," Esper said.

"We're grateful for the Kingdom's willingness to host our troops, and Prince Sultan Air Base is an important base that allows us to foster troops and equipment and protect our shared interests throughout the region," Esper added.

"This is a critical time for our counties to continue working together as there are many threats to stability throughout the Middle East."

Esper, while addressing Prince Khalid, then said, “Thank you for your efforts to de-escalate tensions and to work with the US to mitigate those threats."

Prince Khalid, in this opening remarks, said, "We send our best regards and appreciation to the United States to continue to work with its allies to preserve peace and stability in the Middle East and the world."

"I'm happy to be here to continue to cement this strategic and important relationship," Prince Khalid added.