Washington, July 21, SPA -- US State Department has welcomed the nomination of Prince Turki Al-Faisal as the Saudi ambassador to the US. A spokesman for the US State Department highlighted the distinguished efforts exerted by Prince Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz during his work as the Saudi ambassador to the US, and lauded his significant role in further cementing Saudi-American relations. 'Prince Bandar was a great friend and honest advisor, and he earned the respect of many US State Secretaries and officials of the State Department', said the spokesman. 'Due to his close relations through years with a number of US officials, the performance of Prince Bandar was unique', he added. The spokesman described the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as a close partner of the US, noting that the existing close relations between the Saudi Leadership and Washington constitute an important part of these Saudi-American relations. The spokesman confirmed that the Saudi-American relations would remain strong.--SPA1602 Local Time 1302 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/278274