Press Release - Statement from NSC Spokesman Tommy Vietor on the National Security Advisor's visit to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates

Today, National Security Advisor Tom Donilon concluded a positive and productive two-day visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

On April 12, Mr. Donilon met with King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al Saud in Riyadh to discuss the broad range of shared strategic interests between the United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. King Abdullah and Mr. Donilon held comprehensive discussions on political, security, and economic issues. The discussions highlighted the importance of the U.S.-Saudi partnership rooted in strong historical ties and shared interests. On the subject of Yemen, Mr. Donilon commended the GCC's efforts to facilitate a peaceful transfer of power.

On April 13, Mr. Donilon met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi for a wide-ranging discussion. They addressed U.S. and UAE common strategic interests in the region, and the ongoing importance of the broad partnership between their two countries. They also discussed the UAE's important role as a member of the coalition enforcing UN Security Council Resolution 1973 in Libya. Mr. Donilon conveyed an invitation from President Obama for the Crown Prince to meet in Washington later this month, which the Crown Prince accepted.

In his meetings in both Saudi Arabia and the UAE, Mr. Donilon and his hosts agreed upon the importance of continued frequent consultations between our countries.