The Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Negotiations, Dr. Abdulaziz Hamad Al-Owaishek, met on Thursday, 17 January 2019, a delegation from the US Embassy in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in the GCC headquarters in Riyadh, to discuss the results of the US Secretary of State's visit to the region; As well as, discussing the United States' decision to gradually withdraw its troops from Syria, and its efforts to counter destabilizing Iranian activities in the region.

The Assistant Secretary General and the US delegation reviewed the results of the Economics and Energy joint Group meeting held recently in Oman, and other joint meetings between the GCC and the United States of America. The US side explained the existing arrangements for the Middle East Strategic Alliance meetings, stressing that the US administration considers the GCC the cornerstone of peace, security and stability in the region, and they are keen that the GCC plays a key role in this alliance, through this strategic partnership between the two sides.