Washington (TDI): Saudi Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, met the United States’ Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the State Department on Wednesday, while he was in Washington to prepare for Trump’s upcoming visit to Saudi Arabia, reports suggest.
Both dignitaries discussed a number of key issues in regional and international politics. As per the statement issued by the US Department of State, Rubio and Prince Faisal urged for peace in Sudan.
“…the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces must return to peace talks, protect civilians, open humanitarian corridors, and return to civilian governance,” the statement read.
When I met with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince @FaisalbinFarhan today we talked about the challenges both our nations face that have peace and security implications far beyond the U.S. and the Middle East. Whether eliminating the threat of the Houthis or terrorist groups in Syria,… pic.twitter.com/8jLMfucxVJ
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) April 9, 2025
Both countries have previously tried to arrange peace talks in Sudan but to no avail. The fresh round of infighting between the Sudanese Army and the paramilitaries under the banner of Rapid Support Forces (RSF) broke out in April 2023.
Since then, more than twelve million people have been displaced and the country is caught up in a grave humanitarian crisis.
In addition to Sudan, Secretary Rubio and FM Faisal bin Farhan also “discussed diplomatic efforts in Gaza to release hostages and work towards a durable ceasefire,” the evolving situation in Syria, and the state of affairs with Yemen.
Marco Rubio, posted on X about his meeting with the Saudi counterpart saying, “We talked about the challenges both our nations face that have peace and security implications far beyond the U.S. and the Middle East.”
Read More: Rubio, Saudi Crown Prince Discuss Gaza Plans
While the Department of State did not openly say anything about the visit but reports suggest that Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia was a key agenda of Faisal bin Farhan’s visit.
Trump is expected to visit the country as soon as the ongoing month. However, exact dates of the visit are not known yet.
It is noteworthy that this will be the first official oversees visit of Trump’s second term and just like his first term, Trump is again choosing Saudi Arabia to be his destination.
Under Trump, US and Saudi Arabia enjoy very close relations and since coming to office for the second term, Trump has very much prioritized the partnership with the Middle Eastern custodian of Muslims’ holiest sites.
Nuzhat Rana is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
