By Miriam Humbe
The Defence Headquarters on Wednesday hosted the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Nigeria, His Excellency Yousef bin Mohammed Al-Balawi.
The Saudi envoy was on a courtesy visit aimed at further strengthening the longstanding bilateral relationship and defence cooperation between Nigeria and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Major General Samaila Uba, the Director, Defence Information disclosed this in a statement signed on Wednesday.
The visit provided an opportunity for both sides to reaffirm their commitment to deepening military-to-military relations and exploring additional areas of cooperation that are mutually important.
During the engagement, the Chief of Defence Staff General Olufemi O Oluyede welcomed the Ambassador and expressed appreciation for the visit, noting the importance attached by Nigeria to its relationship with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
He emphasised the need to sustain and expand existing channels of cooperation, particularly in areas that would enhance the professional capacity and operational effectiveness of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
The Ambassador, His Excellency Yousef bin Mohammed Al-Balawi expressed his desire to further strengthen relations between Saudi Arabia and Nigeria, describing Nigeria as an important partner in Africa.
He reiterated the Kingdom’s readiness to support closer engagement and cooperation between both countries, particularly in the defence and security sectors.
Both sides acknowledged that stronger institutional and professional links between the two countries’ armed forces would contribute to improved cooperation in addressing common security challenges.
The Chief of Defence Staff appreciated the Ambassador for the continued goodwill of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia towards Nigeria and expressed optimism that the discussions would translate into tangible areas of cooperation.
The visit underscores the commitment of Nigeria and Saudi Arabia to strengthening their bilateral partnership and advancing shared interests in peace, security and stability.
