National Guard Minister Prince Miteb bin Abdullah returned to Riyadh on Wednesday following a visit to the United States where he met with President Barack Obama and senior US officials and discussed prospects of strengthening military cooperation.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat Arabic daily in Washington, Prince Miteb called for quick reconciliation between Qatar and Egypt. He also stressed that Tehran should not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries in the region.

He highlighted the strong relations between Saudi Arabia and the US. “Both countries have identical views on many issues,” the prince said, adding that difference of opinion would not affect deep-rooted bilateral ties.

Prince Miteb urged the international community to remove the Bashar Al-Assad regime and defeat the so-called Islamic State militants if they wanted to exterminate terrorism from Syria and Iraq.

He commended the role played by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah to end the conflict between Qatar and three GCC countries: Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain. “It was aimed to safeguard Arab unity.”

The minister emphasized Saudi Arabia’s pivotal role in the Gulf. “We work for global peace and stability,” he added.

“The US understands the Kingdom’s important role in the Arab and Islamic world,” he said.