ROME: Saudi Arabia and San Marino on Thursday pledged to enhance their relations. San Marino’s Foreign Secretary Luca Beccari was received in Riyadh by his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan. During the meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, several issues of mutual interest were covered “in order to strengthen the relations between the two countries,” Beccari told Arab News. He said Prince Faisal “confirmed the will to quickly conclude an agreement on the promotion and protection of investments, but also to continue with the … signing of other agreements in the short term.” Beccari added: “It was a fruitful meeting. Significant opportunities for collaboration were highlighted in a friendly country that has large investment capacities and advanced development projects in numerous fields.” He said Prince Faisal expressed a “strong Saudi interest in promoting … connections and exchanges with San Marino through the signing of important bilateral agreements in several sectors.” This was the first official visit of a San Marino secretary of state to Saudi Arabia, but in recent months several meetings have been held between senior officials from both counties. Beccari previously met Prince Faisal in September 2022 on the sidelines of the 77th UN General Assembly. Last year, Beccari also met in Italy with Saudi Sports Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal and Tourism Minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb. An enclave nestled in the northeast of Italy a few miles from the popular beach destination of Rimini, San Marino has been an independent state for 1,720 years and has a population of nearly 34,000. With its medieval buildings, fine monuments and iconic landscapes, it is a well-known attraction for visitors to the Riviera Romagnola from all over the world.