| The United States hosted a meeting on the Middle East Strategic Alliance (MESA). Officials from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Jordan and the US discussed regional developments, as well as cooperation in political, security, economic and energy-related efforts in the Middle East, including the development of a strategy for the Middle East Strategic Alliance for counterterrorism, according to a statement made by US Department of State's Spokeswoman. The statement added that the meeting included discussions on the situation in Syria, air defense in the Arabian Peninsula and a summary of multilateral cooperation among the countries concerned. The Arab-US Summit hosted by Riyadh on 21-22 /5/2017 has called for the establishment of a strategic alliance for the Middle East. |