Liz Truss has thanked the crown prince of Saudi Arabia for his assist securing the discharge of 5 Britons captured by pro-Russian forces in Ukraine, of their first name since she grew to become prime minister.
Aiden Aslin, Shaun Pinner and John Harding have been recognized as three of the Brits freed “by the skin of their teeth” in a shock jail swap final week.
The Foreign Office had been working for months to assist these detained, however it’s believed the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, was essential in negotiating the discharge.
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Health minister Robert Jenrick, the MP in Mr Aslin’s constituency, instructed Sky News the royal had been requested to assist as a result of not solely was Saudi Arabia “an ally and partner of the UK” but additionally as a result of it’s a nation, by its function in OPEC (the group of oil-producing nations), that has an ongoing relationship with Russia.
In a press release about their name, Downing Street stated: “The prime minister thanked the crown prince for his personal role in securing the release of five British detainees held by Russia-backed forces in eastern Ukraine last week, to the great relief of their families.”
They mentioned their “strategic partnership” on defence and vitality safety, whereas Ms Truss additionally supplied the UK’s “continued encouragement for progress in Saudi Arabia’s domestic reforms”, in response to No 10.
Saudi Arabia is a strategic companion of the UK, however the relationship is controversial due to its document on human rights.
In June, when she was overseas secretary, Ms Truss supplied a strong defence of British ties to the Gulf state, stressing that the world isn’t “perfect”.
She was talking following the launch of talks on a contemporary commerce deal between the UK and 6 Gulf nations.
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Downing Street stated the prime minister reiterated her concentrate on agreeing a robust UK-GCC commerce deal of their name on Monday afternoon.
A spokesperson added: “They discussed the strategic partnership between the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia across a range of issues, including cooperation on defence and energy security.
“The leaders welcomed progress in ending the battle in Yemen and agreed on the significance of continuous political dialogue to increase the truce.”
Meanwhile, the Saudi crown prince also offered his “honest condolences” on the death of the Queen.
“The leaders seemed ahead to persevering with to develop the robust relationship fostered throughout her late Majesty’s reign”, the spokesperson stated.
Source: information.sky.com”