In response to a questions from reporters on the Saudi U.S. relations, Al-Jubeir said " Let me begin by saying that the US- Saudi relationship is a very long relationship and a very strategic relationship. It is multi-faceted. We have very strong ties and have had for decades in the area of security, in the military field, in the political field, in the economic field, in the investment field, and in the people-to-people relationship. Half of the Saudi young men and women who are studying abroad on government scholarships, amounting to around 200,000, are studying in the United States. Their experience there has been phenomenal. It has been positive. They have acquired skills and knowledge that they will bring back to their country in order to further advance our nation. I believe that the US people have spoken when they elected President Trump as their President. And we all have to respect the will of the American people. We look forward to working with Trump administration to further enhance the bilateral relationship and to deal positively with the numerous challenges facing our region, whether we are talking about Syria or Iraq or Yemen, Libya, fighting terrorism, dealing with the global financial issues, or energy. The positions that President Trump has articulated are ones that we are on complete accord with: restoring America’s presence at the international level is something we - and all of America's allies - welcome because the lack of American engagement leads to a vacuum in the world order, otherwise it would trigger evil forces to fill it. And then, we all have to double down to push back against these evil forces at great cost. So, an America that is engaged, is an America that plays a positive role in the world, and that is something we welcome". Al-Jubeir added that "President Trump has stated as his objective the defeat of Daesh. We and every civilized country in the world support this goal. And we look forward to working with the Administration on realizing this objective. He has spoken about containing Iran and limiting its ability to cause mischief and making sure that Iran abide, to the letter, with the Nuclear agreement that was signed. This is exactly our position. And we look forward to working with him in this area. He has made his objective to rebuild traditional alliances or alliances with traditional American allies. And this is something we also welcome. So we look forward to working with Trump Administration. And we are very positive about the future of the Saudi-US relationship. And we look forward, as I said, to working with Trump Administration. When you look at the individuals that President Trump has appointed or nominated for key positions, whether we are talking about General Mattis for the Defense Department, General Kelly for Homeland Security, Mike Pompeo for CIA, Rex Tillerson at the State Department. When we are talking about Mr. Wilbur Ross at the Commerce Department, Steve Mnuchin at the Treasury Department: these are very very impressive individuals. They are highly capable. They are highly experienced and they have a very realistic and a wise view of the world and of America’s role in it" "So once again I say we are very very optimistic about Trump Administration. And on working closely with it to deal with the many challenges, not only in our region, but in the world. I say what I say about our positive outlook because we have had contact with Trump Administration, and we feel very positively about it. In terms of the statements you mentioned which are attributed to General Flynn, General Flynn is an individual we know from his time at the Defense Intelligence Agency and from his time at Central Command. He is an American patriot. He is a man concerned about the security of the United States. And he is a man who believes in working very closely with American allies, including Saudi Arabia. So, again I personally look forward to working with General Flynn and with all our colleagues in the American Administration. I have no doubt whatsoever that our ability to overcome the challenges will be tremendously enhanced the closer we work together". --More 18:49 LOCAL TIME 15:49 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w318918