Saudi Gazette report

JEDDAH — Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, deputy premier and minister of defense, received a phone call from US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

During their conversation, both the leaders expressed their deep concern over coronavirus and the need for all countries to work together to contain the pandemic, according to a statement released by the US State Department on Wednesday.

The development assumes significance as Saudi Arabia is set to convene a virtual extraordinary summit on Thursday, bringing together the leaders from the Group of 20 major economies (G20) to address the pandemic.

US secretary of State thanked the Crown Prince for Saudi Arabia’s continued partnership in the face of the Iranian regime’s destabilizing regional behavior, the statement added.

“They also focused on the need to maintain stability in global energy markets amid the worldwide response,” State Department Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said.

“The Secretary stressed that as a leader of the G20 and an important energy leader, Saudi Arabia has a real opportunity to rise to the occasion and reassure global energy and financial markets when the world faces serious economic uncertainty,” she added.