US, Saudi and UAE hold trilateral NSA dialogue

The US, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have launched a trilateral dialogue at the level of national security advisors, the first meeting of which was held last week, the White House said today.

The national security advisors of the three countries met at the White House on March 23 to "discuss issues of strategic importance to the three countries, including joint efforts to counter the Iranian regime's malign influence and provocative behavior," an official readout of the meeting said.

Among others it was attended by senior officials from Department of State, the Department of Defense, the Department of the Treasury, and the intelligence community participated in the meeting.

The leaders agreed to meet trilaterally on a regular basis to develop and implement joint frameworks to mitigate threats to regional security and to bring greater peace, stability, and prosperity to the Middle East.

"Additionally, the National Security Advisor of Afghanistan joined a session focused on discussing ways the US, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE can partner with Afghanistan to support the Afghan government and set conditions for an enduring peace settlement," the White House said.